That Was Then, This is Now
by Nagiana
Summary: With finding his missing brother, killing zombies and finding himself halfway ostracized by his group, the last thing Daryl Dixon needs is an ex. fiancee - err. "girlfriend" - stepping back in the picture with a thirteen-year-old kid she claims is his. But of course, he is Daryl Dixon and when has his life "ever" been easy?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so welcome to my first ever Walking Dead fanfiction! I must say, this was super fun to write and this will be a DarylxOC Female fanfiction. I'm also fairly new to the series, so if there are any factual wrongs, then please, by all means let me know so that I can fix them :)**

**Disclaimer (only gonna do this once): I do know own the Walking Dead or anyone associated with the Walking Dead. If I did, then I wouldn't exactly be writing a Daryl Dixon fanfic ;). The only ones I do own are Tessa, Ethan and any other person you do not recognize. **

**Please read and review - No flames! - and I hope you enjoy! :)**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - By the way, the Cherokee reservation that I used in this story (as far as I know) does not exist. **

* * *

The last person Daryl would have expected to stumble upon that warm summer day on his usual hunting trip, was Tessa Nightrun. The last person he would have expected to find _with_ her . . . was their son.

Or a kid she claimed to be their son, anyway.

And really, the more he gazed at the thirteen-year-old, impossibly gangly teenager that walked and towered over the short, petite woman of full-blooded Cherokee descent, the more he looked like he really _could_ be their son. He had gotten his mother's thick black hair and dark skin tone but Daryl's blue eyes and – dare he say it – his disposition. The kid that walked alongside his mother didn't act like a normal thirteen-year-old – not at all like Carl or one of the other dumbass teenagers he had known back when the world was its normal self. This kid didn't talk and when he did, it was in nonsensical grunts and nods that only his mother seemed to be able to decipher. When he _could_ be prodded into saying something that actually required forming syllables, his voice was deep and solemn – a voice that immediately had interested eyes flitting to Daryl.

Yup . . . by disposition _alone_, it was as clear as day that the kid had to be Daryl's.

When they had initially reached the camp, everyone seemed to freeze when they walked out of the woods first; at least until Daryl walked out behind them seconds later, his signature crossbow slung nonchalantly over his shoulder. He nodded to Rick, who nodded back and immediately stepped forward. He extended his hand to Tessa, who smiled and shook it in return.

"Rick Grimes."

"I'm Tessa, and this is my son, Ethan." She replied, her hand moving to ghost over her son's shoulder, and Rick nodded as he nodded to the people behind him. He introduced each of them, one at a time and they either nodded a greeting or, in the case of Shane, gazed at them a tad mistrustfully. Finally, when he was done, he turned his eyes back onto them, his eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion and interest as he did so. His eyes darted to Daryl hovering slightly protectively over Tessa's shoulder, but passed it from his mind.

"So, where are you guys from? How did you happen across Daryl?" Tessa smiled.

"We're from the Cherokee Indian reservation on the other side of Atlanta. We were in the city for business when the walkers hit. We escaped somehow and fled into the woods, where we happened upon Daryl Dixon here . . ." She explained as she glanced back at the man standing behind her. Rick's eyes cast an interested look onto him and Daryl's lips pursed in slight irritation.

"We done know each other. Well, me and Tessa do, anyway. I've never heard of the kid 'till now, though . . ." His eyes lingered on the kid standing beside his mother and another pang of interest speared through Rick, especially when he saw the kid hold Daryl's eyes unflinchingly.

"Oh really; that's interesting. How so . . .?" He asked, and Tessa opened her mouth to say something, however, Daryl beat her to the punch.

"She's an ex. Girlfriend."

"I'm his ex. _Fiancée_!" Tessa corrected him and she sent a scathing glare over her shoulder at him before turning a much nicer one onto Rick. "And Ethan is our son."

The words alone were like a gunshot in the ears of the people standing there and Tessa heard Daryl curse bitterly underneath his breath as he shifted from foot to foot. Great – that was just great. That was _just_ what he needed to make his life better – more drama!

Rick and Dale blinked stupidly a couple of times as they processed Tessa's words while the other's responses fell anywhere along the line of their mouths dropping open in shock like Glenn, to Shane's utter _look_ of shock! Daryl scowled. Jesus Christ, by the looks on their faces, you would have thought that he was a damn virgin!

Lori, ever the mediator of the group, smiled and darted forward, where she grasped Tessa gently by the shoulders. "It doesn't matter! Of _course_ Daryl's family is welcome! You can stay with us as long as you like, honey!" A look of relief appeared on Tessa's face as she opened her mouth to thank her, however, Daryl's 'tch' of anger interrupted her. Their eyes turned onto the younger Dixon and he shot Tessa a scathing glare.

"They're not ma family, Lori!" He grumbled as he moved past them towards his tent, bumping into Tessa unnecessarily hard as he did so. Lori gazed at him at stunned shock whereas Tessa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Don't worry about him, Lori. It's not every day that you find out that you've had a son for the past thirteen years of your life!" She spoke somewhat bitterly and totally sarcastically, her voice rising slightly so that he could hear what she had said as he continued walking and he didn't reply. Hell, like his own son, he probably _grunted_ a response! Her lips pursed slightly, however, she allowed herself to be led off to the Winnebago and the others by Lori and Rick, Ethan trailing slowly behind them. Daryl watched them go as he gently placed his crossbow in his tent within easy reaching distance.

He had to admit . . . Tessa did look good. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as his mind kept telling him it would be . . .

* * *

_"So . . . how many do you want again?"_

_Tessa grinned and she could practically see Daryl grin as well as she snuggled deeper into his arms and her freshly-washed bedsheets, her head moving to lay on his bare chest as his arm came around her shoulders. Her finger absentmindedly traced the small tattoo on his right pec and she bit down on her bottom lip as she spoke._

_"I want a boy and a girl, remember?"_

_"And what are their names again?"_

_"I want to have the boy first and I want his name to be Daniel Lee Dixon -"_

_"Damn, ain't that southern soundin'?" Daryl couldn't help but laugh as he rubbed his face with his hand, and Tessa grinned and let out a playfully indignant 'augh' as she slapped him on the chest. _

_"_I_ think it has a nice ring to it, so _fuck_ you!" She teased and he laughed as well as she continued: "Then I want to have a girl and I want _her _name to be -"_

_"Daisy Duke Dixon?" Daryl offered with a shit-eating grin, and the look that Tessa gave him only made him laugh harder._

_"Okay, _now_ your being an asshole!" She told him and he nodded. _

_"I'm sorry, darlin', I couldn' resist! Now go, get on and tell me what our little girl's name gon' be!" His tone was playfully stern when he spoke but it also held an underlying softness that Tessa couldn't ignore. Her eyes softened as she turned her beautiful big brown bambi gaze onto him and once again, whenever he gazed too long into her eyes, Daryl found himself stuck. He couldn't look away and when she spoke, her voice was quiet. _

_"Catherine Elizabeth Dixon . . . Cat Liz, if you're feeling spunky . . ." She murmured before smiling. "What about you? How many do you want again? _Four_?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows in challenge, and instead of immediately hopping to her challenge, Daryl simply smiled a small smile and moved a lock of her dark hair out of her face and behind one ear._

_"I don' care how many we have, Tessa, jus' as long as yo' they momma . . ." _

The words and the memory that accompanied them, echoed in Tessa's head as she made a cautious way over to Daryl's truck and tent, finding the man sitting on his truck bed, cleaning his crossbow and his rifle. He glanced up at she made her way over to him and a scowl darkened his handsome features, despite the plate of food in her hand.

"I hope you're hungry!" She spoke, somewhat cheerfully as she finally closed the distance between them. "From what I remember, you always were. I hope this . . . _situation_ hasn't changed anything!" Daryl just grunted in response and glanced at her before nodding to the space on the tailgate beside him.

"Put it there, I guess . . ." He mumbled and Tessa nodded as she gently sat the plate down.

"Are we . . . are we ever gonna talk?" She asked, her voice as cautious as her movements, and Daryl's body shook in a wry laugh.

"Don' exactly knows what there is to talk 'bout!" He shrugged. "Way I see it; you walked out on me in the middle of the night without a word . . . without a goodbye or nothin' like that. So, figurin' that, I don't suppose there _ain't_ nothin' much for us to talk about!"

Tessa's jaw hardened and when she spoke, her voice was hushed so that nobody else would hear them. "Don't you _dare_ make me look like the bitch in this situation, Daryl! I would have _killed_ for you to have been there for our son before the whole world went to Hell – so don't you _dare_ insinuate that I wouldn't!" Tessa hissed to him, her eyes growing surprisingly wet with unshed tears. She never would have thought she would be driven to tears so quickly after meeting Daryl again, but she supposed even she had the power to shock herself. "But you have to understand that Merle made it impossible for me to stay! Every time I was there with him and you weren't, it was never 'Tessa' or even something along the lines of 'Daryl's girl' that I always managed to get whenever you _were _around! I was always the 'squaw' or the 'blanket-ass' or the 'bushnigger'!" She shook her head, her eyes wide and pleading through their tears. "Love can only handle so much, Daryl . . . and eventually . . . eventually, my love couldn't take it anymore!"

"So ya left me with ma kid in ya belly?" He hissed back, feeling his anger start to bubble as he turned his eyes up to hers. "Ya left me _knowin' _that ya were pregnant and that ya never intended on tellin' me?" She shook her head.

"I didn't figure out that I was pregnant until weeks later and by that time, I was too far away that it wouldn't even have mattered if you knew! For God's sake, Daryl, I was on the other side of Atlanta on the Cherokee Reservation - there would have been _nothing_ that you could have done!"

"Was there another man?"

Tessa's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "W-What - excuse me?"

Daryl's jaw hardened. "_Was there_ . . . another man that came around and raised my son for me?" Daryl repeated the question slowly, his anger quickly bubbling again and Tessa could tell he was straining to keep his anger in check. She gazed at him for a moment, quickly assessing the situation. Daryl loved kids – he always had. Once upon a time, before the whole world went to shit in front of their very eyes, she remembered them lying awake in bed after making love, teasing each other about how many kids they would have – Hell, she had thought about it while walking the short distance between the Winnebago and his area of the camp! Knowing that, she knew how badly it would tear him up inside to know that another man had raised his son when he couldn't – that he had been just as much of an absentee dad as his own father was and even though it had been completely her fault that he hadn't known!

She didn't want to do that to him, however, she also knew that she had to answer him, for this was not a question that Daryl was about to let go easily. She swallowed hard and looked away. She blinked back a few tears as she shakily whispered,

"Yes . . ."

The look of agony that pierced Daryl's eyes immediately lanced her heart. She reached out to him but he recoiled from her touch just as her hand smoothed over his shoulder. In one swift, smooth movement, his crossbow was lying on the spot of his tailgate where he had been sitting, and he was up on his feet. "What was his name?" He asked her, his voice hard and bitter and his eyes unable to meet hers. They stayed pinned to the dark earth underneath them, instead, and Tessa's eyes became pleading as she shook her head.

"Daryl, please -!"

"What was his _name_, Tessa?" He demanded angrily through gritted teeth, his eyes moving to pin hers with a certain ferocity that momentarily frightened her. She swallowed hard and shook her head again.

"Sam Trammell. He was a highschool teacher from New York but moved to the reservation for whatever reason. He taught science, I think. The kids loved him – everyone did, in fact! And no one cared that he was one of the only white people on a Cherokee reservation!" She shook her head. "Daryl, please understand how I was at that time! I had just given birth to a child whose father I would probably never see again! I was a single-mother – a _struggling_ single-mother -!"

"Oh yeah; is that right Tessa? And whose fault is that, exactly? 'Cause it ain't exactly mine!" Daryl interrupted her sarcastically and Tessa gave him a look as she continued,

"I was alone, I was self-conscious because I just had a baby – I needed help, both financially and mentally! Sam, he . . . he was kind and he didn't judge me and before I knew it, he . . . he had stepped so effortlessly into me and Ethan's lives that for a moment, it was almost like he had always been there!" She shook her head, her eyes wide and pleading again as she placed a hand gently on his chest. She could feel his heart beat underneath her palm and for a moment, she was speechless at just how _hard_ it was beating. "But I _never_ stopped loving you, Daryl! And eventually, that put a hole in our relationship – a hole that we could not recover from. He started to find it impossible to compete with your memory and I -!"

Daryl interrupted her by shaking his head, in disgust or sorrow, she couldn't tell. "That's enough, I don' wanna hear no more!" He grumbled before fixing her with another searching stare. "I'm guessin' by the fact that I found you and Ethan alone, that he's dead?" Tessa nodded and he nodded as well, eyes asking her question that he didn't have the guts to ask.

"He died in Atlanta. We were surrounded in a tiny janitor's closet in some building we tried to find refuge in. The only way out was through a hole in the ceiling above us. He boosted me and Ethan up but couldn't get up himself. He died so that we could live," Daryl nodded and moved to go, the universal Dixon sign that the current conversation was over, but Tessa's hand shot out and latched onto his forearm. He turned his eyes onto her and quickly found himself growing tired of the pleading look that she was constantly pinning him with. "His name is Ethan – your son's name is Ethan . . . Ethan Daryl . . ." She told him, the last ones coming out in a breathless voice and Daryl couldn't help but swallow hard. "Hate me all you want to, but please, treat him kindly!" Tears fell from her eyes at that moment as she shook her head. "He's your _son_, Daryl, whether you want to believe it or not and he deserves nothing but your kindness while I deserve nothing but your loathing! It was _my_ fault you never knew him – not his!"

_"I don' care how many we have, Tessa, jus' as long as yo' they momma . . ." _

Tessa swallowed hard as her grip on his forearm slackened slightly. He didn't pull away and she took that as a sign that he was listening. "You once told me, Daryl, that you didn't care how many children we had, just as long as I was their mother . . ." She swallowed hard. "Does that mean anything to you now?" Daryl gazed at her for a moment, his eyes expressionless but searching and eventually, he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"That was then, Tessa, and this is now."

He said nothing more after that and instead, turned around, where he walked off in the direction of the dark woods.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my God, first day out and already, I have received a pretty good start of followings/favorites and some pretty awesome reviews. I beg all of you to please, keep it up! If you like any part of the chapter or just have questions or concerns, then please, send me a review or a PM - they light such a fire under one's ass to keep writing, that its not even funny! So please, please, keep it up :)**

**This might seem like an unnecessarily long chapter and I might have written Daryl a little OC (although I hope to Hell I didn't, because, after all, we were all stupid teenagers at one point!) but I kinda want to do occasional filler chapters on Daryl and Tessa's relationship before she left him, which is what this is. Eventually, Merle is probably gonna pop up in these dreams/flashbacks too, but I don't know when, so yeah LOL**

**Like I said up there, review and enjoy!**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - Next chapter - I think, cause I'm kinda rearranging chapters a little bit here and there - will be the beginning of a relationship between Daryl and Ethan. So, if you don't stick around for this chapter, then you'll probably want to stick around for the next one, cause its pretty good. Or, you could stick around for both - that works too :)**

* * *

_From the day she first met him, Tessa Nightrun knew that Daryl Dixon would be hers._

_The day he met her, Daryl Dixon knew that Tessa Nightrun would be his._

_Always the loner in school – always known as the infamous Merle Dixon's little brother and the alcoholic, philandering Will Dixon's youngest son; he was treated as little more than trash underneath the squeaky clean shoes of the teachers. He blamed his piss-poor grades on the asshole teachers not giving him a chance and his bad attitude because he was misunderstood and because his father would light into him whenever the old man was angry or just didn't like the way his face looked that day. The other kids hated him and the majority of his school day was spent smoking cigarettes and joints in the boy's room with his other loner friends. He counted down the days until he could drop out like Merle did but until then, it was a constant Hell._

_Until . . . she came . . ._

_He remembered the way Tessa Nightrun looked on that first day of his senior year like it was yesterday (it had been the first day of her junior year). Long, ebony colored hair was pulled into perfect braids, one falling over each shoulder and her big brown bambi eyes twinkled in the bright, florescent lights of the school hallways and classrooms. She wore moccasins every day, as well as that same carved wooden amulet that she claimed had been an heirloom from her grandmother – another full-blooded Cherokee who had grown up on a reservation somewhere west but who had never let go of her heritage. She loved bright colors – pinks, blues, reds – anything that would make her flawless and beautiful mocha colored skin shine._

_The first time he saw Tessa, Daryl remembered thinking that she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen before in his life – even prettier than Cindy Crawford or Stephanie Seymour (Merle like Cindy, Daryl had a preference for Stephanie). Whenever he stood before her, he felt like a peasant before a Queen, for how could someone so beautiful and so good, _ever_ want to have anything to do with a fuckin' Dixon? They were the resident white trash of Shooter's Mill and he had grown up hearing from both his mother and his father that he was nothing more than redneck white trash and that no woman of good standing and beauty would ever want to be with him – that he was doomed to marry a woman similar to his and Merle's own mother – the town bicycle. He had grown up hearing that he was ugly – that he was weak and useless . . . he had grown up with beer bottles exploding over his head that could be viewed as something as natural as breathing._

_Merle had escaped through the Juvenal system – Daryl didn't have such luxuries. _

_But then, the day before he decided he would drop out, the strangest thing happened . . . Tessa noticed him. He wasn't worthy of her by a long shot but yet, for some reason, she had her eyes on _him -him_, the redneck Dixon that wore nothing but flannel and jeans while she wore Gap and Calvin Klein. She laughed at his lame jokes and was patient through his tirades and his mood swings. She was there for him when his father's slaps became too bruising or when the glass from the beer bottles cut too deeply. _

_Not only had Tessa been the one who got him to finish highschool and get his GED, but she had also been his first in everything. She had been his first ever real friend, his first fuck, the first woman he had ever gone down on . . . his first ever palms sweaty, nervous, adolescent-like love that made his heart die a little death every time he saw her walking towards him – her eyes seeing him and only him . . . _

_And all those reasons that Daryl thought made him not worthy of her, were the very things that had attracted her to him in the first place. She loved the soul-tearing honesty of his beautiful blue eyes and the way that, despite his self-esteem issues, he could also be cocky and confident in his own way. She loved his roughness and that, despite all his anger and the physical abuse that he had suffered, that he still possessed a heart as big and as golden as anyone else she had ever met. _

_The first night they had kissed – that they made love (it was a night of many firsts, in fact) – was the day that Daryl finally graduated from highschool. Beaming and proud of himself for the first time in years, he remembered her excitement as she ran into his arms after the ceremony. She had planted one of the biggest kisses that he had ever received on his lips, and kissed him with such a heated vigor that it almost made his knees weak. They broke apart, not because they wanted to, but because the amused sound of Daryl's uncle Jess clearing his throat, reminded them that they were not alone. _

_His uncle Jess and Tessa had been the only ones who came to his graduation. His mother was dead, Merle was locked up and his father was on a bender with some waitress he met at the local Waffle House. But really, as he stood there and thought about it, with his arm looped around Tessa's waist, he realized that there would have been no two other people on earth that he would have wanted there more, than Tessa and his uncle Jess._

_And it was then, through the excited yells of his classmates busy taking pictures with their families and yelling at each other to keep in touch, that Tessa stood up on her tiptoes, placed her lips at Daryl's ear and whispered,_

_"Tonight . . . tonight, I want you to take me to the stars, so I can feel even remotely what you're feeling like now!"_

_Daryl almost shit his pants when he heard those words and could only nod numbly. As an excited, yet slightly shy grin spread across her features, Daryl realized that he didn't want to treat this encounter as any other guy would. This was _Tessa - _this was the one girl that made him short of breath and feel as awkward as a hormonal, pre-teen boy whenever he was around her. And it was at that moment, as he whispered back that he would gladly take her to the stars that night, that he knew he was going to do everything in his power to make it a moment she would never forget._

_Later that afternoon and before nightfall, he had managed to drag one of the old mattresses into the barn, somehow lug the big bastard up into the hayloft and then procure (well, more like stole) one of his old man's best bottles of Maker's Mark, as well as a few candles from the kitchen cupboard and relatively clean sheets. He wanted the entire thing to be _perfect_ and as soon as he saw her eyes – wet with tears when she stepped up into the candle-lit hayloft (his old man had tanned his hide afterwards, by the way, roaring at him as he punched his lights out, on how stupid he was to have lit candles in the hayloft when it could very well catch on fire – and all for a piece of pussy too!) he knew it had been beyond perfect. _

_But with Tessa, it seemed everything in his life was turning into something perfect before his very eyes – something he could only dream about in his wildest of dreams! And when she had slowly pulled down the straps of her dress to bare her nudity to him, the thin summer clothe falling to pool around her feet, he knew with every ounce of conviction in his body, that he had found his heaven – that he had found his perfection._

_And it was funny, too . . . right around when Tessa stepped into his life, was the day Daryl Dixon began dreaming again._

* * *

_Daryl stirred in his sleep, a movement that had him unconsciously pressing himself firmly against the warm body of his lover. Tessa's nails ran along the taut skin of his arms as they pulled her close, pressing their naked bodies together. It was absolutely silent in the barn that night, with only the rhythmic songs of the crickets and cicadas keeping them company outside. Minds still fuzzy from the Makers Mark (of which only a fourth of the bottle was still left) Tessa closed her eyes. She could feel his chest rise and fall as his warm breath danced across the back of her neck and she couldn't help but smile as she rolled over to face him. Her movement awoke him and he quickly greeted her with a soft kiss and callused palms on her back as his arms wrapped around her._

_"Are ya alright?" He asked her softly and a little worriedly, his voice coming out low and quiet. Their bodies were still pressed tightly together – so tight that she could him reach down between her legs and cup her sex._

_Tessa smiled as the mixture of her arousal and his climax coated his fingers. There was a dull ache and a slight tingling between her legs, but she had never felt better. "I am – thank you!" She replied simply, the dopey smile on her face reassuring Daryl more so than anything she could have said. He chuckled and ran his hands up and down her back._

_He pressed his lips against hers, earning him a delicate moan from the back of her throat. Their lips parted and Daryl pressed his forehead against Tessa's. "I'm sorry if ya first time with me weren't . . . as ya expected . . ."_

_Tessa's eyes fluttered open and she trailed gentle fingers down his strong jaw line, noting the self-doubt that was evident in his eyes. There were times when she could kill his father and his mother for treating him like they did for as long as they did. Such a handsome, cocky guy like Daryl Dixon shouldn't have been carrying such low self-esteem as he did. "You were perfect, Daryl! I wouldn't have wanted my first time to be with anyone else!"_

_Daryl's lips curled into a small smile and his cheeks flushed. "Really . . .?"_

_She nodded as she planted a kiss on his neck. Daryl let out a low groan as the kiss turned into a suck and then a nibble. He pressed his hips toward her while bringing her closer to him, and she began to lovingly lick the mark she'd left on his neck. Daryl quickly stopped her by gently grasping her chin. He looked deep into her eyes before moving to assault her lips with his. Tessa kissed him back, knowing that she couldn't get enough of him - his taste, his scent - it was all so intoxicating and addicting._

_Their tongues moving together, Daryl placed a warm, callused hand on her chest. As they parted to catch their breaths, Daryl felt her heart beating underneath his hand. He watched her chest rise and fall for a while before looking back up at her to find she had been keenly watching him. Tessa smiled sleepily and placed her hand over his._

_"I am glad you were my first too, Tessa . . ." Daryl confessed in a voice barely above a whisper. "I love you so much!"_

_"I love you too Daryl . . . I always will . . .!"_

* * *

Daryl awoke that morning with a sharp intake of breath and his heart pounding an aching beat in his chest. He found himself clinging to the dream with every ounce of energy he had, but like every dream, it was futile. He forgot the fine details as quickly as they had come and by the time he sat up and rubbed his face with his hands, he was in as bad a mood and as exhausted as he was he first went to sleep!

He heard heavy footfalls moving towards his tent, crunching on the fallen leaves of the forest, and looked up expectantly as the tent flap unzipped, revealing Rick. Daryl let out a 'tch' of irritation as he rubbed the sleep from one of his eyes with the heel of his hand. "No offense Officer, but ya face isn't exactly the one I would have chosen to wake up to!" Rick chuckled.

"Just thought I'd let you know that we're moving off in twenty." Daryl furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why? Isn't here good enough?" Rick shrugged.

"I suppose, but I still get a bad vibe from this place ever since the attack. Dale mentioned a much more protected spot further up the quarry. We think it'll be better there and it'll only be for a short time – while we figure out what to do from there." Daryl nodded and shrugged.

"Well, don't see why ya need my permission! It's not like I'm gonna pop up one day and just leave!" Rick smiled a small smile and shrugged.

"I figured you wouldn't, now that Tessa and Ethan are here, but nonetheless, I thought you should know." Daryl nodded and said a slightly wary 'thanks' as Rick got to his feet and headed back to the others who were busy getting their things packed up. He was getting kinda tired of everyone looping him, Tessa and the kid together in a group. He had been with Tessa in thirteen years and hardly knew kid aside from the fact that he was an insanely good shot. How could they possibly be classified as one unit if those things were taken into consideration?

Daryl shook his head and pulled on his boots before stepping out of the tent to the much too cheery outside world. He stretched, his hands reaching for the sky and his back popped in a very satisfactory manner.

He saw Tessa moving around helping Carol and Andrea collect the laundry off of the clotheslines stretched on the sides of the camp. It seemed already Tessa was already fitting in well – exactly how she had fitted in so effortlessly in highschool. Ethan seemed to be lingering on the outskirts of the camp, although he did seem to take a liking to Glenn opposed to Carl, who was more his age. Daryl couldn't help but crack a smile at this. It figured that his son would be drawn to Short Round and not the ever-so-slightly annoying kid.

Tessa looked up and for the briefest of seconds, their eyes connected and he could have sworn that she knew what he had dreamed about. He didn't know who broke the gaze first, but when they did, they both went off their separate ways, not even sparing each other a good morning. He moved off to pack his things but stopped when he saw Shane move up to talk to Tessa. Black hair shining in the bright morning sunlight, it would have taken a complete dumbass not to know that Shane was trying to pick her up.

His hands tightened into fists and his jaw hardened but he relaxed slightly when he saw Tessa take a small step away from him and smile graciously as she gestured to Daryl. Shane shot him a look at him before saying something to her and stalking off. She looked back over her shoulder to him and she smiled a small smile before unclipping one last towel from the clothesline and moving off in the direction of the Winnebago.

Daryl knew what she had told Shane to get off her back – that they were together – that she was taken. He knew it was a lie and while a part of him wanted dearly to believe it was true, another – the Merle side - snarled, 'Good riddance.'

* * *

"You know, he's quite a handsome boy . . ."

Tessa adopted a look of questioning interest on her face as she glanced up at Carol standing across from her. They were both undoing the laundry hanging out on the clothesline to dry and the older woman glanced at her and smiled a small smile. "Your son, I mean. He's quite the handsome boy!" She spoke, and Tessa laughed and nodded as she tucked a folded towel into a basket fitted snugly against her hip.

"I tell everyone that he got his good looks from his daddy – that it had nothing to do with me what-so-ever!" She grinned with a light laugh, a laugh that Andrea mimicked while Carol simply nodded. Her eyes darted to Daryl as he climbed out of his tent on the other side of the camp before moving back onto the towel she was busy unclipping from the clothesline.

"Daryl's a good man, I think. He has his code, but he's a good man, nonetheless." Tessa continued to grin as she laughed.

"Daryl has always been a good man, but he's always been really, _really_ curious – to the point to where he has developed the extremely bad habit of never being able to avoid a conflict!" She gave Carol and Andrea a playfully exasperated look as she spoke, a look that both women returned with a light laugh.

"I mean, no offense, Tessa, but I find it so hard to believe that you used to . . ." A look of slight disgust appeared on her face then, one that Tessa found herself grinning at. "_Be _with Daryl Dixon of all men!" Tessa chuckled.

"Well, I can tell you ladies that a long time ago he was a lot less crass!"

"Probably Merle's influence . . ." Andrea muttered, a little bitterly, and Tessa nodded.

"Oh I'd bet my last dollar on it! He always did put an unnecessary amount of hero worship into that pig of an older brother of his and I suppose when I left, he had no one else to go to . . ." She trailed off then and Carol noticed, for she pinned the beautiful woman with a curious look.

"Your relationship ended badly?" She asked, and Tessa's lips pursed slightly as she turned her head to connect eyes with Daryl. They locked eyes and for just a moment, she thought she could see the cocky yet completely sweet teenage Daryl that she had known on the night of his highschool graduation, standing there. But then it was gone, replaced by the surly, angry one she knew now, and she tore her eyes away from his and rededicated them to the laundry.

"You could say that . . ." She replied, her voice terse. When Lori called for Andrea to come and help them pack up some things into the Winnebago, Andrea bid them a polite 'excuse me' before she picked up her laundry basket and headed in the general direction of the Winnebago, leaving Tessa alone with Carol.

Tessa sensed Carol's movements slowly and felt it too as heavy footfalls approached her. The footfalls didn't sound like Rick's and were much too heavy and burdensome for Daryl's hunter-light steps. When she looked up and saw Shane smiling down at her from beside her, all she could do was smile a small smile.

"Good morning, Tessa; how was your night?" He asked, and Tessa nodded as she folded up one of Carl's shirts and placed it in her basket.

"Good. I thank you for allowing me and Ethan to sleep in the Winnebago last night." Shane waved her words aside.

"Ah, don't thank me – its Dale's Winnebago, after all!" Tessa nodded and smiled a tight, almost uncomfortable smile as she continued on with her work. She glanced at Carol and the woman shot her a weak smile as she too carried on with her work. From the moment she was introduced to him, Tessa immediately received a bad vibe from Rick's best friend. She didn't know exactly what it was, but a part of her screamed never to trust him and to hold him at arm's length the entire time.

She could feel eyes boring into her back and knew that they were Daryl's. Only he would take particular notice of Shane talking to her.

"So . . . you and Daryl was an uh . . . an item, huh?"

Tessa froze briefly and she saw Carol do the same out of the corner of her eye. She quickly recovered herself, however, and smiled a small smile. She nodded as she glanced up at him. "Yeah we were. Why?" She asked what she hoped was genuine curiosity, only to see Shane flush slightly. Tessa had grown up knowing of her beauty but always found it irritating when men would act like Shane talking to her – dumbfounded and awkward. With Daryl, the awkwardness had been endearing because he was someone who wasn't well known for his girlfriends or suaveness. With Shane, however, who practically oozed the aura of 'playboy', it was simply just irritating.

He shrugged as he gingerly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just that . . . Daryl didn't seem too happy to see you and . . ."

"Well, I won't lie to you Shane - we did end things badly back then, before Ethan was born," She sighed as she folded another shirt, taking a small step backwards from him as she went. "But when we talked last night, we decided to give things another go – for old time's sake and for the sake of our son," In a look that she hoped was full of puppy love enough to deceive him, she gazed over her shoulder at Daryl again, where she gestured to him. She saw him tense slightly but continue on with what he was doing nonetheless. "I expect that I'll be sharing a tent with him soon enough – that way I won't be imposing too much on Dale and Andrea." Shane nodded and shot Daryl a slightly dirty look before he shot her a tense smile. He stalked off then, and Tessa could hear the laugh in Carol's voice.

"Honey, if anyone deserved an Oscar for a performance, it is you!" She remarked, and Tessa laughed as she looked back over her shoulder to him. She smiled a small smile before she unclipped one last towel from the clothesline.

"Well, Carol, when one spends a fair amount of time around the likes of Merle Dixon, one learns to become a very skilled actress!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Have I really been updating this story as fast as I have? I must really have, but, then again, the demand seems to be really for it and who am I to deny such wonderful fans who leave such awesome reviews? :)**

**For all of you wondering what Tessa looks like (in my mind anyway), you only have to Google Janina Gavankar. She starred in True Blood as Luna and also the L Word, although I haven't watch that show at all, so I don't know what type of character she played. And another thing, I didn't realize I had almost styled Tessa to look like Pocahontas until someone brought it up in a review and then I realized that she does kinda resemble her and I laughed for a good five minutes, so thank you, I needed that LOL**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - I'm exactly clear on what direction I'm gonna steer Daryl and Ethan's relationship. I have a pretty good idea on what I'm gonna do and the basis starts here but if you guys maybe want to see a little bit more friction or a little bit more acceptance, just review or PM me and I'll take it into consideration :)**

* * *

"Thank you so much, Tessa; you have _no_ idea how much of a big help you've been today!" Lori thanked her almost breathlessly as they finally sorted out the last of the clothes and delivered them to their various owners. The look of exhaustion on her face was quite clear and Tessa shook her hands.

"No, no, don't mention it, Lori! You guys need all the help you can get after the attack and I'm happy to help! In fact, I would feel like we were imposing if we didn't do anything to earn our keep!" Lori smiled thankfully as she turned to face her, clutching Carl's folded shirts to her stomach as she did so. Tessa smiled cheerfully as she clasped her hands together. "So, where will me and Ethan be on the road?" Lori sighed and thought for a moment.

"Well, we could probably fit you guys in the Winnebago, but it'd be a rather tight fit, I'm afraid . . ." Lori told her with a slightly apprehensive look, and Tessa heaved a sigh as she gestured to the ladder bolted on the side.

"What about on top? We'll ride on top if it'll make it any easier!" She replied, and Lori's eyes widened slightly.

"On top . . . of the _Winnebago_? Don't you think that would be dangerous?" She asked, and Tessa merely shrugged, her fingers moving to skate along the smooth wooden carved surface of the talisman that still hung from her throat. The chain had to be replaced variously over the years, but the talisman remained – a forever reminder of the grandmother she had so loved and adored.

"Well, what other choice do we have, Lori? And I suppose me and Ethan have probably done much more dangerous things before while making our way through Atlanta! Like I said, it's no big deal." She spoke, her voice weak, and Lori's eyes glanced in the direction of Daryl, who was standing at the side of his truck, busy helping T-Dog load various things into the bed around Merle's bike.

"_Well_, now that I think about it . . . I'm pretty sure that Daryl has room in his truck up front with him _and_ a semi-free bed. Ethan's not exactly a big boy – I'm sure he could fit!" She suggested, and Tessa sighed as she glanced at her son standing beside her. Ethan shrugged and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shane lingering a little ways from Lori and her, doing what she could bet was listening in on their conversation while all the while pretending to be fiddling with one of the last bags to be loaded. When she noticed him standing there, she knew she couldn't think any more about it. If she wanted to keep creepy Shane off her back, then she and Ethan both would _have _to travel with Daryl – as awkwardly painful that might be.

She nodded at her son and he silently turned around, where he began the short trek to Daryl and his truck. Tessa sighed and quietly thanked Lori with a soft word and an even softer smile as she took off after her son, catching up with him as they neared the truck. T-Dog was just leaving as Daryl caught sight of them, and he heaved a sigh. She could tell it was a sigh of slight irritation.

"The kid can have the bed. Tessa, I guess you're up front with me." He mumbled as he checked to make sure the bungee cords keeping Merle's bike upright in the bed, was secure enough to withstand the bumps and jostles of the half-broken highways and dirt country roads. Tessa nodded and smiled weakly at her son as he placed their things in the bed with everything else before climbing into it himself. It took him a moment to find a comfortable spot, but he finally did and it was then that Tessa moved around to the passenger seat. She hopped inside right as Daryl slid into the driver's side. Turning around, he rapped two knuckles on the back windshield and Ethan turned slightly to face him. "You good to go?" He asked, and Ethan merely grunted and nodded in response as he turned around. Daryl sighed and rolled his eyes as he turned around and started the truck.

"Kid don' say much, does he?" He asked, and Tessa shot him a look.

"No, _Ethan_ doesn't. He's just like his father in that respect," She replied and like father, like son, Daryl merely grunted in response. She rolled her eyes as she ran her fingers through her black hair. They were taking off by then, the truck rumbling along behind the Winnebago and a silence pervaded the inside of the truck for a good ten minutes before a grin of remembrance spread across Tessa's face then. "You know, when I gave birth to him in the hospital, the nurses thought he was the cutest damn baby they had ever seen! 'Oh, where did he get those _eyes_ from?' and 'Why doesn't he ever _cry_?' Ethan _never _cried as a baby, Daryl – I swear to God! And whenever I would get those two questions, I'd always say that he got his good looks from his daddy and like his daddy, he wouldn't say a damn thing _until_ there was something that needed to be said! And then, goddammit, you'd hear him out or it'd be your ass on the line!" Daryl grunted again although she could tell there an amused gleam in his eyes nonetheless.

"And which daddy was the one that he got his good looks from? Was it the sperm donor hick or the educated Yankee that took the sperm donor's place?"

"Daryl, _stop_ it!" Tessa pleaded with him quietly as she turned an exasperated gaze onto him. "You were never just a . . ." A look of abhorrence crossed her face. "A _sperm donor_ to me! Ethan _is_ your son, Daryl and you know it! Hell, you knew it since the moment I first told you!" Daryl let out a reluctant grunt.

"Yeah . . . only 'cause the kid never speaks! Hell, if he had said more than two words to me the first time he met me, then it wouldn' matter if the kid was the spittin' fuckin' image of me – I'd be disputin' his right to call himself my son just out of principle!" He mumbled, his voice slightly teasing, and immediately a grin split across Tessa's face. It was a grin that momentarily caused Daryl to become dumbfounded at the sight of – not because it was probably the happiest grin he had seen in decades it seemed like, but because it was Tessa, and every time Tessa grinned, it was like the Angels themselves were grinning.

Hell, not even Merle could be in a bad mood whenever Tessa started grinning.

"Why you grinnin' like that? Ya look like the fuckin' Cheshire Cat, I swear to God!" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, and Tessa shook her head as she moved to lean on her elbow on the truck door. The grin disappeared, only to be replaced by a slightly smug smile as she continued to gaze at him.

"Oh no reason . . . just that it's a damn good start!"

"It's the damn good start of what?" He asked, feeling himself getting more and more irritated the longer she sat there and forced him to play 20 Questions with her. Tessa shrugged as she returned her eyes to the road stretching out before them, that same slightly smug smile still on her face.

They sat in another silence for a moment before, suddenly, Tessa shifted towards him and quickly moved over to sit in the middle space of the truck seat, Daryl jumping at the abruptness of it all. Then, the fingers of her hand moved to run through his short brown hair as her other hand remained in her lap and at first, he recoiled violently from her touch as a stormy look appeared in his eyes. "What the fuck you doin', Tessa?" He demanded, his voice dripping with nasty venom, but Tessa couldn't help but gaze at him in amusement as she continued to play with his hair. He felt himself curse inside as he gritted his teeth. Dammit It was like when he halfway admitted to one thing, it was impossible for him to be taken seriously by her from then on out. What the Hell? Why were they back to this highschool bullshit?

"I like your hair short, Daryl. You didn't look good with long hair," She grinned then. "You looked weird. I don't know - long hair just didn't fit you somehow!" He glanced at her and although his face remained expressionless and slightly wary (he still didn't like being touched, even by her) his eyes held a teasing gleam that she was thankful they were starting to adopt around her again.

"Ya sure, Tessa? 'Cause, there ain't much to hold on to anymore . . ." He spoke, his voice quiet and a tad silky and Tessa shook her head and bit down on her bottom lip in slight awe. Was he flirting with her now? Was Daryl Dixon _actually _flirting with her now? This new Daryl was so different from the Daryl she used to know, that it was taking her a while to figure him out. However, if she didn't know any better, she would definitely say that he was flirting with her.

Tessa cocked her head, a look of thoughtfulness appearing in her eyes as she observed him for a moment. "No, now don't be hasty! I think that there's still plenty to hang onto, Daryl . . .!" As if to prove her point, her fingers suddenly buried in his hair and curled into a fist. His head jerked back slightly with the firm grip and her eyes flashed. It was a flash and a movement that made his mouth temporarily go dry. "And if it's not the hair, then you know good and well that there's also that very fine ass of yours that I won't hesitate to grab onto too!"

For once, Daryl didn't grunt a response.

For once, he didn't answer, period.

And for _once_, in a long, long time . . . Daryl Dixon found himself shocked into speechlessness!

And for some reason . . . that pissed him off more than anything!

With a slightly irritated hiss, he jerked his head forward and she allowed him go with a grin. He glanced at her as he rolled his head, making sure there were no kinks in it. "Don't know what I expected," He shot a slightly angry gaze at her. "Ya were always a flirt!" Tessa grinned as she moved to lean back against the passenger side doorway, where she placed her feet in his lap. She could see his jaw harden and when he glanced at her, she could tell his angry gaze slid down to her cleavage more than anything – especially more than he wanted her to know about.

"Only for you, sweetie!" She replied cheerfully as she chewed on the corner of one fingernail, and he let out an angry 'tch' as he devoted his attention onto the road, vowing that he would not say anything more to her for the duration of what he begged and hoped, would be a very short trip.

He didn't move her feet away though, and by the time they had reached their new campsite, his left hand was resting on them.

* * *

"Hey, Daryl, where are you runnin' off to so fast?"

They had reached their planned campsite faster than they would have expected, although it had taken quite a trip, and almost immediately upon stopping, Rick noticed how quickly the man was getting out of his truck and reaching into the bed to pick up his crossbow. Rick's eyebrows knitted together in slight confusion at the speed. He figured it had something to do with him being cooped for so long on the road, but he'd be wrong. In fact, Daryl just wanted nothing more but to get himself away from Tessa! Even then, thirteen years after the last time they had made love (or had they angrily fucked? Hell, he couldn't even remember, it was so long ago!) the woman still had the power to make his head swim and his blood boil.

"I'm goin' huntin'. We still gotta eat, right?"

That was all he said and he said it so gruffly that it temporarily took Rick aback. He was becoming used to Daryl's often volatile temperament but this gruff attitude had him slightly wary.

"You know I don't want you going alone -!"

"It'll be fine, Rick – Daryl, take Ethan." Tessa interrupted him quickly, and Daryl immediately stopped and turned back to face her. Rick heaved a sigh and chose to back out at that moment then in favor of helping everyone else get their things unpacked, knowing that the situation was most probably already settled. He didn't care who went with him so long as he wasn't the only one going out there alone.

Daryl gazed at her in confusion for a moment. "What'd you say?"

Tessa nodded resolutely. "You heard me - take Ethan with you!" Daryl pursed his lips in irritation but he managed to hold her gaze. He needed to get away from her and think, not teach some kid still wet behind the ears how to hunt! He couldn't think and teach someone at the same time - he wasn't nearly that damn talented!

"Tessa, I'm not 'bout to -!"

"You don't even need to teach him anything!" She interrupted him again. "He already knows how! He knows how to hunt and track and _move_ like a hunter. You, literally, cannot teach him anything that he doesn't already know!" Daryl arched an eyebrow, seriously doubting that, that was true. He didn't care who you were or what the Hell you were doing - you could _always _learn something new.

And besides, the kid was fucking thirteen. What could he possibly know that the thirty-six-year-old Daryl didn't?

"Can he shoot a bow and a rifle?" He asked, making it become Tessa's turn to arch an eyebrow.

"For the love of God, he's your _son_, Daryl! He practically came out of the womb with a six-gun in his hand!"

He had to admit . . . the woman had him there.

After heaving a halfway defeated sigh, Daryl nodded before gesturing to Ethan still sitting almost expectantly in the bed of the truck. "Grab ya bow and follow me, kid. We'll be back shortly." He told him, and Ethan nodded and moved to hop out of the bed. Daryl immediately turned and moved to head off in the direction of the woods, hoping he could get at least a few minutes worthy of thinking time, but stopped when he felt Tessa's hand latch onto his forearm. Turning around to face her, he saw slight apprehension glittering in her eyes.

"_Promise_ me that you'll give him a chance, Daryl!" She hissed, so that only he could hear her, and he nodded, giving her a half-shrug as he did so.

"Yeah, of course I will."

She shook her head and moved closer to him. "No, Daryl, I want you to _promise_ me that you'll give him a chance! And I want a Daryl chance too, not a _fuckin'_ Merle chance!" His jaw hardened slightly and a look of irritation appeared in his eyes again.

"Yeah, yeah, I _promise_ ya that I'll treat the kid good, Tessa – ya happy now?" She nodded as she slowly let go of his arm. Their eyes still connected, he sighed. "Ya better be thankful that Merle's not here tho'. Ya thought being around him back then was bad? _Shit_, think of the names he'd come up for you now – and not-to-mention for the kid too!" He shook his head and let out a laugh as he turned around and headed back towards the woods. Ethan stopped at his mother and pinned his father's back with a look that Tessa couldn't rightly decipher, although the closest would probably be anger or mistrust.

"Give him a chance, honey, please – you just met each other!" Tessa begged him, her voice soothing as she gently ran a hand over his chest. "You guys are more alike than you think – than _either_ of you wants to accept right now, in fact!" She glanced at the clearing in-between the trees that Daryl had disappeared into and her lips pursed. "And just feel lucky that your uncle ain't here to complicate things!"

* * *

Another thing Daryl found that he had to admit, was that he was probably gonna have to start giving the kid more credit than he was already reluctant to do.

Four squirrels and a rabbit later still had Daryl mired in his own thoughts while the kid did all the hunting. Thank God he was such a good hunter too, or else they would have gone without meat that night and nobody liked that.

"So, where did ya learn to hunt?" Daryl found himself asking as they moved soundlessly through the woods, tracking what looked like turkey tracks through the brush. He found himself praying that it wasn't that Yankee bastard that came after him. Ethan shrugged.

"Growin' up on an Indian reservation in rural Georgia, you learn a few things. Momma, however, says that I'm a natural," He glanced at Daryl then, briefly, before he turned his eyes back onto the forested path in front of them. "Has me wonderin', though, where I got my so called 'natural' talent from, speaking you haven't made a single catch since we entered the woods!"

Daryl let out a grunt of derision at the kid's challenging tone and found himself having to mentally stop himself from going off on the kid and calling him a little 'shit-fucker'. He was a cocky little bastard, he had to admit. Of course, then again, if Daryl would have been on his game, the kid would be left coughing in the dust – there would be no question about it! However, he _had_ promised Tessa that he would be kind to him, so he supposed he should keep his anger under control.

Well . . . be as kind to him as Daryl Dixon knew how, anyways, which often resulted in him stuffing the Merle side of him back into the far recesses of his consciousness.

"Well, I reckon ya got it from me, 'cause from what I 'member, ya momma couldn' hit the broad side of a barn with scattershot! Little bit better with a bow and a pistol, but not by much." Ethan nodded and let out a sound of acknowledgment, one that Daryl couldn't help but let out a little laugh at. Yup, from the kid's cockiness to his sounds of acknowledgement, the kid seemed to be most definitely his!

They moved in silence for a while, still tracking the turkey tracks in the soft dirt, when finally, Ethan glanced up at him and spoke. "You know . . . momma told me the truth a long time ago . . ." Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he glanced at him.

"The truth . . .?" Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, that she left you and fled to her parents on the reservation because she couldn't stand my uncle any longer – that weeks later, she found herself pregnant with me. . ." Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, ma brother could be . . . a little hard to handle, at times . . ." He muttered and Ethan nodded, his eyes glued to the trail winding through the forest in front of them. Daryl glanced at him again. "Jus' . . ." Ethan turned his eyes onto him and Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ya did . . . have a good life, right – before the walkers came and fucked everythin' up, I mean? She did manage to give ya a good life, didn't she? Her and that . . . that _Yankee_?" He spat the word out like it bile on his tongue, and a brief look of amusement crossed Ethan's face.

"You mean Sam?"

"You call him Sam?" Daryl asked in interest, and Ethan nodded.

"He was never my father. I mean, yeah, he treated me like a son and he raised me, but . . . for some reason I could never acknowledge him as my father. It felt . . . _wrong_," He shrugged. "And yeah, momma gave me the best life she could have afforded – her and Sam both did! We weren't rich but we never went hungry," He glanced at Daryl out of the corner of his eye. "She missed you, though, you know . . . sometimes, when I was really young and before Sam came into the picture, I remember lying in bed in my room at night, listening to her cry herself to sleep in the next room. She'd say your name - a lot!"

Daryl adopted a scowl although he couldn't help but feel his heart twist in his chest at Ethan's words. "Yeah, well, it wasn't my choice not to be in ya life, kid, let me tell ya!" His voice was bitter, and Ethan nodded.

"I know . . ." His voice was quiet and it was then that they relapsed back into the same silence they had been in a few minutes before. This time, however, it was slightly more awkward, with neither knowing what to say to the other. Of course, what could they say? All Daryl knew about the kid was that he was his son and all Ethan knew about the man walking beside him holding the crossbow, was that he was his so-called 'father'. And really, Daryl seemed the exact opposite of the clean cut Sam Trammel who always wore khakis or jeans and polo shirts. Daryl was dirty and rough around the edges. He was walker killer extraordinaire and probably the first textbook dictionary example of 'redneck' that Ethan had ever had the pleasure to meet. He found it hard to believe that this man ever managed to qualify as being his mother's 'type' enough to sleep with her, let alone that he was first conceived as a little white speck in the man's gonads!

Daryl came to a stop beside him and Ethan stopped with him. The older man's eyes were gazing up into the sky above them and it was then that Ethan noticed the long shadows that had started to call the forest their home as the sun started fading over the treetops. "We should prolly head on back – we ain't gonna catch that turkey by nightfall, I'll tell ya that right now!" Daryl spoke, his voice its customary quiet grumble as he dragged his eyes from the sky and instead, turned them back on to the trail behind them. "We got enough food for today and I should prolly get ya back 'fore ya momma throws a fit!" Ethan nodded in agreement as they began their trek back to the camp, once again in silence.

"You know . . . you're not, uh . . . exactly what I expected my father to be whenever momma would talk about you when I was a kid." Ethan finally spoke and Daryl let out a scoff of a laugh, a look of amusement and curiosity entering his eyes.

"Oh yeah? And what did ya expect me to be, kid?" Ethan shrugged.

"Not . . . yourself!" He admitted, and Daryl let out a laugh. At least he was truthful!

"In other words, ya didn't expect ya momma to get pregnant with some redneck asshole's kid, right?" It took a moment, but finally, Ethan nodded. He opened his mouth to say something further, but Daryl interrupted him with a heaving sigh. "Believe me, kid, I've been finding myself wonderin' that as well lately!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all your feedback - its been really helpful in decided where I want to take Ethan and Daryl and it looks like its gonna be down the path that I originally wanted them to go down, so yay! :)**

**This chapter does have a lemon in it, so yeah . . . it was pretty fun to write, I won't lie ;)**

**And by the way, this fanfiction will follow the course of the show, pretty much. This part of Daryl and Tessa's life is actually going to probably span until the last episode of season two and then the next part, which will be an entirely new story, will pick up first or second episode of season three. Just thought ya guys might wanna know that.**

**Keep those reviews comin' - they're awesome! :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"Jesus, Tessa, will you settle down – your acting like you just downed a triple red-eye!"

Tessa couldn't help but laugh as she glanced over at Dale approaching her, a worried look in the old man's eyes. She shook her head, a soft look appearing in hers. "Don't worry about me, Dale, I'm just . . ." She sighed and shrugged. "They've been gone for hours and they're not back yet! I'm just worried for Ethan, that's all!" Dale's eyes softened at the explanation, and he chuckled as he placed a gentle hand on her back.

"Come on now and join us by the fire! It's growing a tad chilly . . ." He urged, and Tessa nodded as she allowed him to lead her to one of the empty chairs, where she took a seat. Rick smiled in amusement at her through the crackling fire. Dale was right – it was much warmer by the fire and as she sat there growing warmer and warmer, she found her worries slowly ebbing away.

"Tessa, take my word for it - your boy is with one of the best shots I've ever seen! There is no one better he could be out there with! Daryl is a little hot-headed, granted, but . . ." He trailed off then before smiling a reassuring smile. "It's just . . . taking them a while to get back, that's all!" He assured her with a nonchalant shrug, and Tessa smiled a small, grateful smile at him.

"I hope so, Rick, I really do!" It was then that Dale's brows knitted together in interest.

"Now, Tessa, we didn't really get to ask last night, but we're probably all dying to know just where you and Ethan are from, originally?" She sighed and let out a laugh.

"Now that's a long story! Uh, the short version is that my parents were full blooded Cherokee going back centuries, and that they grew up on a reservation somewhere out west. I was born there but I was young when we moved and forgot the name of it. They never told me it either, so I never figured out. When my grandmother died, which was probably the only reason we stayed out there to begin with – to take care of her and to be with her in her twilight years – we finally packed it up and moved. When we did, my father decided to move us to Shooter's Mill,"

"Which is where Daryl and Merle were from, right?" Rick asked, and Tessa nodded.

"Yeah – that's how I know him, err . . . _them_, I guess. Me and Daryl went to the same highschool together and when he graduated, was when we started dating."

"So you two were highschool sweethearts, then?" Andrea asked with a grin, and Tessa grinned as well and laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that."

"How did you parents approve of the match?" Lori asked in interest, and Tessa shrugged.

"Like I told Carol earlier, back then, Daryl was a lot less crass than he is now. And also back then, my parents were working much of the time, so I barely ever saw them. Hell, I don't even think they ever met Daryl, they were gone so much! So, while it was really just me, Daryl was one of the only friends I had and for a while there, so was Merle. Hell, whenever their father wasn't home, their place became almost like my second home – at least until I got my own apartment. And when I did move out and get my own apartment, was when my parents decided to move to another Cherokee reservation somewhere north of Atlanta – which was where me and Ethan came from. They were social workers and they thought that their talents could be of particular use there, speaking that reservation was well known for its troubled youth. When they left, all I truly had then _was _Daryl and Merle – especially Daryl!" They all nodded then, content to leave it there for now and when they did, was when they all heard rustling in the brush.

Rick, Shane and T-Dog dove for their guns, however, it was a false alarm as only Ethan and Daryl ducked out of the brush and into view. Immediately, a broad beam appeared on Tessa's face as she jumped to her feet and ran for them. "Ethan – oh thank God your back!" Ethan only had enough time to brace himself before he felt himself being drawn into the surprisingly strong arms of his mother, where she hugged him to her tightly. Daryl sighed and gingerly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm back too, safe and sound an' without a bite or scratch on me – so don't worry 'bout me none!" He spoke somewhat bitterly, and Tessa simply smiled as she broke apart from her son and moved over to Daryl. One of her hands slid up and over his chest as she moved to embrace him in a tightly hug as well, despite the dead squirrels and the rabbit that swung almost grotesquely from his belt. Immediately, Daryl froze at the touch and when she moved to release him, he visibly relaxed. However, she paused and stood up on her tiptoes to whisper into his ear and he tensed again.

"Thank you so much for giving him a chance, Daryl!" Her lips met his stubbled chin then in a gentle kiss and for a moment, the need to turn his head – to capture her lips with his own and to deepen the kiss to near passionate levels – was almost too great to pass up. However, he managed at the last minute to rein himself back in and when she finally withdrew from him and settled back onto her feet, he allowed himself to release that breath that he had been holding in since she had first moved over to him.

"I, uh . . . I gotta go . . . go clean these squirrels for supper . . ." He found himself stammering as a light blush appeared on his face, and Tessa smiled a small smile as she placed her arm around her son's shoulders and steered him in the direction of the others huddled around the campfire.

Hot damn, _she still looks as purdy as ever, don't she? Hell, she looks like she could _still_ suck the chrome off a trailer hitch! _Merle's voice was soon accompanied by laughter. _And that kid, too . . . guess that makes you a bonafide squaw hopper, eh baby brother? _

Daryl continued on his way to his truck and the still lowered tailgate, determined to push Merle's voice from his head. Fuck him. He had never tolerated Merle talking that way about Tessa before and he certainly wouldn't stop then – voice in his head or not!

* * *

Supper that night was a semi-somber affair. Everyone sat grouped around the roaring campfire, quietly eating their food and rarely saying anything. Everyone listened for the sound of walkers in the woods and the crickets and cicadas chirping in the gloom of the forest not that far from their campsite was the only sound that pierced their otherwise completely silent night. The stars twinkled high overhead above them and Tessa found herself closing her eyes fairly often throughout the entire dinner, even when she had been busy eating. If she concentrated hard enough, she could pretend that the walkers had never come – that they weren't real. She could pretend that this was all just a camping trip between friends – that once the trip was over, they would go their separate ways and return to their homes and their separate lives.

But where was her home now? Where was Ethan's home? Was it back on the Cherokee reservation on the other side of Georgia – with Sam and their life of lower to middle-class boredom? Or was it with the man sitting beside her – the redneck hick that she had left behind and subsequently found herself pregnant with his child? Had her home _ever _been with him?

And as she thought those last words, she mentally kicked herself. Her home had _always _been with Daryl, Merle around or not - who was she kidding? Everything had always made sense with Daryl and nothing seem to matter whereas everything did with Sam. Money hadn't mattered so long as they could afford everything they needed because, after all, they had, had each other. Who needed money when you had the one you loved? With Sam, money had always been an issue.

However, in the end, when it all came out in the wash, not even the sex – that mind-numbing, toe-curling entwining of their bodies - mattered either. When it came to Merle, _nothing _– not money, not sex – found itself mattering when he stepped into her life and subsequently into her relationship with Daryl. In the beginning, she knew that Merle was his brother – that she had no room to complain, because, after all, family was everything, right? And at first, his racial slurs and his anger were funny, if not a little endearing and she tolerated them simply for the fact that him and Daryl were the only two people in Shooter's Mill that she could even remotely call her friends. And when its entertainment value started to decline and started to border more on irking her than anything else, then Daryl just came by her apartment whenever they couldn't stand to be away from each other any longer and they found that mostly everything reverted back to normal.

But like she had told him earlier, love could handle only so much. And with Merle Dixon, that hadn't turned out to be a lot.

"Hey, ya okay?"

Tessa jumped out of her thoughts when Daryl gently elbowed her in the ribs to get her attention, and she smiled a tight smile and glanced at him, where she nodded. "Yeah, yeah, just . . . thinking about how things were way back when." Daryl nodded, his eyes telling her that he understood and she knew he did. She had no doubt in her mind that her abandonment of him hit him infinitely harder than she could even begin to comprehend and once again, a lance of guilt pierced through her heart.

They sat there for a moment, Tessa and Daryl in their chairs by the campfire, and watched as everyone slowly left them for their cots and sleeping bags and inflatable mattresses in the tents and the Winnebago. Ethan had fallen asleep long ago, his head pillowed on his mother's legs, and she smiled down at him as she lovingly brushed her son's hair out of his face. "You know, it constantly surprises me how he could sleep so deeply while all this shit is going on around him . . ." She spoke quietly, and Daryl glanced at her but didn't answer, his hands moving to clasp in front of his mouth. His eyes flickered down to the kid's dark head lying on his mother's thighs – _his_ kid's dark head lying on his mother's thighs, and his tongue darted out to lick at his bottom lip.

"Ya know what they say 'bout kids, Tessa - they always somehow manage to bounce back." Tessa grinned and let out a wearied laugh.

"He's only thirteen, but he's not a kid, Daryl - not how Carl is still a kid, anyway. His childhood ended the day he shot a bullet through a walker's head; the day he saw those-those _walkers_ pin someone underneath them and rip their guts out through their stomach . . ." She shook her head then and it took a moment for Daryl to realize that her hands were shaking as they continued to brush Ethan's black hair out of his face and that tears were brimming in her eyes. "When you have a child, you want so badly to shield them from every unfairness in the world for as long as you can – if you love them that is! In this world, however, there is no shielding them. You either live or you die and age is _never_ taken to account! Its such a Darwinian existence!"

They stayed silent for a moment before Daryl finally spoke. When he did, his voice was low and quiet, not at all unlike his normal grumble. "You know . . . Merle knew you'd left 'fore I even did . . ." Tessa's eyes shot up to his, wide with surprise, and Daryl shrugged his shoulders. "Don' ask me how, but he did." Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she moved slightly closer to him – as close as she dared without waking up Ethan. The fire still flickering in front of them cast eerie shadows on the man's rugged and exhaustion lined face.

"What did he tell you?"

"He tole me ya were dead; that ya died in a car accident comin' back from Atlanta," He replied, his eyes pinned onto the flickering flames. "And I believed him – why wouldn' I? I . . . I couldn' move on after you, though. I mean, yeah, I had one-night stands and those drunken flings everyone talks about, but a relationship – a _genuine_ relationship that takes actual work to keep goin' . . .!" He shrugged his shoulders then. "Couldn' do it. Don' know why, I just couldn'!" He turned his eyes onto her. "You were the only woman that I ever loved, Tessa. After you left, I . . . I just couldn' love again!" She grinned and looked down, blinking back her tears.

"I bet that certainly gave Merle fuel for his ever-present racial fire. 'Ah, Daryl, she's jus' a bushnigger – ya can move on!'" Daryl grunted in amusement.

"Ya sounded just like him for a minute there . . ." He grumbled and Tessa shrugged.

"Yeah, well . . . I should, shouldn't I? I was around him a lot back then – more than I wanted to be, actually . . ."

"Was it really tha' bad . . . bein' with me?" He asked, turning his eyes onto her and she swallowed hard and shook her head. "'Cause at times, I know it just about damn killed ya!"

"You were one of the only good things at that time of my life, Daryl. I loved you for _you – _I was with you for _you_, not Merle!" Her hand smoothed over his cheek then, gently turning his eyes onto hers. "And Daryl, as stupid as it sounds, please believe me when I tell you that I _still_ love you!"

He turned an expressionless gaze onto her and she let out a defeated sigh as she leaned in and kissed him. It was slow and he froze at first but then it grew steadily deeper and more passionate when he finally kissed her back. Her hand slid up his neck to fist in his hair and she jerked him to her, the both of them starting to breathe out harshly through their noses as their tongues fought for a dominance that they hadn't fought in such a very long time.

And soon, the tables turned. When Tessa found herself submitting to the fierce insistence of his tongue, Daryl found himself in control of the kiss. He tore his lips away from her and instead planted them on the pulse-point of her neck but froze, however, when Ethan shifted in her lap, reminding them of his presence. Daryl let out a little groan and Tessa grinned and laughed as he withdrew from her, his hands moving to rub his face.

"Damn kid – interruptin' at the worst fuckin' minute!" He grumbled and although his grumble was one of irritation, his eyes sparkled in amusement. She smiled a small smile, a slightly conspiratorial smile.

"Well, we can always carry him inside to his sleeping bag . . ." Daryl turned his eyes onto Tessa and she shrugged. "And I can, uh . . ." Her eyes flashed in the firelight. "Find myself sleeping in your tent for the night . . . if-if that's what you want, of course!" Even in the firelight, Daryl could see the blush that tinged her cheeks at her words, and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards in a smile as he nodded.

"I'd like nothin' else in the world, Tessa . . ."

* * *

That night, they made love for the first time since the night she left him thirteen-years-ago – a lovemaking that seemed so out of place in such a shitty world, that for a moment, Daryl and Tessa thought they had dreamed it – that they were _afraid_ that they had dreamed it.

They had ended up carrying Ethan into the Winnebago a few minutes after Tessa suggested spending the night with him in his tent, Daryl careful not to wake anyone up as he deposited his son gently onto his sleeping bag. As Ethan let out a sigh and shifted onto his side, his face burying into the fabric stretched out underneath him, he felt Tessa's hand slide into his. She pulled him gently backwards - towards the outside world and his tent beyond. This time, he didn't flinch at her touch – he welcomed it.

The tent was a pretty good sized one - big enough to where you could stand up in it and have room to move around (well, Tessa could, Daryl had to stoop slightly). Crossbow leaning against one of the support poles, the only sound that filled the air was Daryl zipping up the tent entrance when he followed her inside. When he turned around, he found his lips connected with hers again, her arms moving to wrap around his neck. They kissed for a moment, and when they finally broke apart, their breathing became slightly ragged. He took in her profile bathed in the light of the moon shining in through the thin nylon fabric of the tent, and shook his head in halfway wonderment.

"Ya have no idea how long I've been wantin' ya touch, Tessa . . . the feel of ya hair running through my fingers and along my body . . . ya lips pressed against mine . . ." He shook his head as his fingers moved into her hair to gently tilt her gaze up to his. " . . . And now, standin' here in front of ya - as close to ya as I've been in thirteen long, goddamn years, I find myself longin' to remember what it feels like to have ya tongue in ma mouth . . .!"

The last statement came out in a strangled, desire-filled croak and Tessa swallowed the knot that had been steadily building up in her throat as he scooped her up in his strong arms and pressed his lips hard to hers again. Her lips parted underneath his and his tongue delved deep into her mouth, coming into a heated contact with hers milliseconds later. When she kissed him back, her tongue finding its way past his lips to run up the roof of his mouth, he let out a guttural groan that seemed to shake his entire body.

She felt his knees buckle slightly and felt a spear of smugness shoot up her spine. This man, who claimed to be so badass with his crossbow and his 'walker killin'' and his hunting skills – who claimed and appeared to be so omnipotent and immortal, could be felled with just one well-placed stroke of her tongue in his mouth. It reminded her just how much of a man he really was.

Fingers clenched in her dark hair and he cradled her head in his hand as he gently lowered them down onto the blow-up mattress laying on the ground a couple of feet away from them, their lips still connected and their tongues still fervidly coupling. Slowly and methodically, they divested each other of their outer clothing; flannel shirts and socks and boots moved to fall to the ground beside them, the articles doomed to be long forgotten for at least a few hours. They broke apart long enough for him to pull his shirt over his head and she ran her hands along the smooth, rippling plain of his chest and stomach. Her fingers followed the line of hair stretching down underneath his belly button, only to disappear into his jeans. His breath hitched and his body trembled as she ran her fingers lightly over the bulge of his trousers to cup him.

Again, she was reminded, from just one touch, just how much of a man Daryl Dixon really was, and she couldn't help but grin.

He let out another groan at her touch, and she stiffened slightly at the fear that the others could hear them. She calmed down, though, when he shook his head and continued to divest them of their clothes, silently telling her not to worry about them. Her walking out of his tent in the morning would be all they would need to know what's up between them.

Remaining clothes finally free of their frames and lying forgotten along with the other articles of clothing, their bare skin felt scorching hot when they finally pressed against each other without any barrier between them. The first ecstatic moan that came from her throat when he first entered her was cut short as his lips joined hers in a silencing kiss; she could feel his grin against her lips at the sound.

She writhed between the smooth, all-encompassing warmth of his body and the slightly rough clothe of the army blanket underneath them. She arched her back with heady pleasure as he sunk down into her again and again, his hips rocking against hers with a slow, torturous passion that momentarily left her breathless. Groans and pleads came to her lips but he said nothing aside from those scarce groans that fell from his lips every now and then, but answered her pleas with what she wanted - going faster when commanded and harder when begged.

Eventually, their breathing hitched and slowed in tandem as they finished each other in a heady reunion. She lay there motionless afterwards, half on his chest and half off of him in his warm embrace, her eyes closing as his fingers stroked almost lovingly through her hair. Perhaps he had somehow planned it this way, where entrapment was inextricably entwined with the overpowering draw of the dark, heady desire that had always existed between them ever since their first night together in the barn.

They lay there for a moment, listening to the crickets and cicadas chirp outside the tent and it was then that Daryl reached over and began fiddling with something in the back pocket of his jeans. Tessa's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she craned her head over his chest to see what he was doing.

"I was savin' these puppies . . . for a special moment . . ." He told her, teasingly proud as he finally brought a rumpled packet of Marlboro cigarettes into view. Tessa's eyes brightened at the sight.

"Daryl, where did you manage to find them?" She asked, and he chuckled as he glanced down at her.

"It just happens to be ma secret . . .!" He mumbled as he took one out and lit it with a match from a box of matches that he nicked from the Winnebago. He took a long draw before Tessa got tired of waiting and almost snatched it from him, where she too inhaled. The smoke flooded her senses and she wanted to let out a moan of bliss, however, the slightly amused gaze he settled onto her made her want to laugh. "Hey, do ya mind? Get ya own!" He remarked as he took it back from her and she shook her head.

"What if I don't want my own?" Daryl's eyes lit up with amusement as he took another drag and for a moment, Tessa thought she was with the much younger Daryl – the Daryl she had known before she left him.

"Well then, ya just shit out of luck, I 'spect!" He grinned then, his eyes flashing in the darkness. "Although I do wish we had a bottle of _Maker's Mark_ . . ." Tessa grinned up at him and he nodded. "I dreamed about that last night . . . our first time together in the barn . . ."

"Was it like you remembered it?" She asked, and he nodded as he handed her the cigarette. She took it from him as he answered her,

"Yeah, it was pretty spot on . . ." He winked at her. "Ya were a little thinner, though . . ." He laughed then as she slapped him on the chest but he brought her closer to him with an arm wrapped around her.

"Well _excuse me_, jackass, if I had a certain someone's baby that caused me to gain maybe a few pounds!" She threw back a little defensively, although a grin still graced her features, and she heard Daryl chuckle as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Naw, don' worry about it none, Tessa . . . ya perfect!" She shook her head.

"I'm the farthest thing from perfect, Daryl!" She muttered and felt him shake his head as her eyelids became heavy with sleep.

"Ya perfect to me, Tess, and I'm pretty damn sure ya perfect to our kid too. Once ya think about it, ya will realize that, that's all that matters!"

It wasn't exactly an 'I love you', but Tessa would take it - gladly!


	5. Chapter 5

**Holy _shit _this was a hard chapter to write - which probably accounts for the shortness compared to the others, as well as the length of time it took me to get it on here compared to the others. So please, keep in mind that I had to re-write many of the parts over again a couple of times before I got anywhere remotely happy with them as you read. And still, I'm not too happy with his chapter overall, so if I get bored enough, then I may go back in and edit it some more.**

**And by the way, I am aware that Merle being the only reason Tessa left Daryl, is a pathetic reason. I DO know that and I DO have other reasons that she left that will make themselves apparent in later chapters. There's a pretty damn big one that, in my opinion, anyway, is a pretty understandable reason. So, keep reading and keep reviewing and I promise if you do that, then the real reason(s) will steadily make themselves more known :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Tessa awoke the next morning to Daryl already getting dressed but clearly on edge. Still rather groggy and fuzzy-headed, she sat up and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. The voices of the others were coming over to them louder than they ever had before, and her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What's going on?" Daryl shrugged as he peeked out of the semi-open tent flap.

"Don' know, but it's gotta be important 'cause it's workin' some people up," He glanced at her. "We should get to the others as fast we can – see what's goin' on . . ." Tessa nodded, immediately coming to her senses when she realized that, that was her cue to get dressed. She nodded to her clothes lying on the ground at the foot of the mattress as she slung aside the sheet.

"Hand me my clothes, will ya?" She asked, her voice quiet, and Daryl nodded as he bent down and threw them to her before taking a seat on the air mattress and pulling on his boots. He glanced at her as she pulled on her panties (with lace trimming, as always, he found himself thinking nostalgically) and then her matching bra and tank top. She glanced at him and it was then, as she was flipping her long sheet of black hair out of her shirt collar, that he heaved a sigh.

"Prolly gonna regret askin' this, but . . . what the Hell was with last night?"

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion and he laughed a little as he started lacing his boots up.

"I mean, did ya expect somethin' to come of last night, or was it just about the sex when ya propositioned me?" Tessa grinned and laughed.

"What, I can't _just_ have sex with you? I can't be an adult and know what I want?" Daryl shrugged.

"I suppose ya could, but it just . . ." He sighed and pinned her with a stare that she couldn't right decipher. She hated those stares. They reminded her so much of Merle because they were almost always cold and hard . . . she fidgeted uncomfortably. "The way ya were talkin' last night – the way ya went about suggestin' it . . ." He shook his head. "I can't believe that that was _just _you wantin' to get laid! It doesn't fit ya!"

"Oh, so I couldn't have changed in thirteen years?" She asked a little snidely as she got to her feet, pulling on her jeans as she did so. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"I didn't say that -!"

"Oh really . . .? Well tell me, Daryl, what _were_ you trying to say?" Daryl pursed his lips as he got to his feet as well.

"I wasn't gonna bring this up unless ya did, but quite obviously, it's gonna need to be brung up anyway! Does this . . . little one-night stand of ours, have anythin' to do with Shane pulling a move on you yesterday mornin'?" Tessa glared at him for a moment before swallowing heavily. Her gaze was expressionless but the hard swallow told him all he needed to know.

"Daryl, that's -!"

"Tessa, listen!" He stepped closer to her, his voice lowering substantially. His beautiful blue eyes were wide and earnest. "He's a jackass – everyone knows it! If ya ever need -!"

Tessa interrupted him with a laugh. "What - if I ever need anyone to _protect_ me?" She asked before she gave a scoff. "I'm thirty-five, Daryl – I'm pretty sure I protect myself!" His teeth gritted in slight anger.

"And what if ya can't, Tessa?" He asked as he stepped closer to her still. "What if he goes batshit fuckin' crazy and starts somethin' with you? What if you guys are _alone _your defenseless?" He shook his head. "I wouldn' be able to forgive myself if somethin' happened to you – to you _or_ the kid!" His eyes became pleading for a moment. "Please, let me at least watch ya back!"

"And how do you propose you go about do that?" She asked as one of her eyebrows rose in half-amusement, half genuine curiosity. He gave a weak shrug.

"Move ya and the kid's stuff in here, with me! You'll free up the Winnebago and ya'll feel like ya out of everybody's hair while sending the message to everyone that ya my girl – _includin_' Shane! We don't even have to share a bed – ya can share one with the kid if ya want! A relationship can be optional – the _sex_, can be optional!" He licked his lips. "Just . . . _let me _protect ya!" Tessa swallowed heavily as she held his gaze, unflinchingly. She saw the uneasiness in his gaze, as well as him silently pleading with her to agree with him, and finally she pursed her lips.

"And what if, down the line, I do want that relationship with you? What if I _do_ end up wanting that bed with you and that intimacy with you – the intimacy we had last night? What do I do then? Am I shit out of luck because the offer won't stand anymore?" Daryl let out a scoff of amusement then.

"_Do _ya want that relationship?" He asked with genuine curiosity on his side that time, and Tessa bit down on her bottom lip and shrugged in what she hoped was nonchalance.

"I don't know . . . maybe . . .?" Daryl grinned and laughed then.

"Okay Tessa, well tell ya what, since ya seem like ya can't make up ya mind - ya come to me when ya finally decide what ya want, understand? I'm not exactly goin' anywhere!"

* * *

The discussion was about where to go next – what to _do _next. Rick suggested they try to make it to the CDC in Atlanta in order to try and find a cure for Jim, who was bitten and dying in the back of the Winnebago. Shane was advocating for Fort Benning a hundred miles in the opposite direction, claiming there would safety there with the military. The discussion was getting so heated, in fact, that no one but Ethan noticed it when Daryl and Tessa walked up together.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Andrea glanced at Tessa as she moved to stand beside her, Daryl hanging on the fringes of the group a couple of feet away. The blonde woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "Rick and Shane is busy dick measuring again, as you can see!" Tessa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"About what?" Andrea shrugged.

"They are in debate on where to go from here. Rick's advocating CDC and Shane says Fort Benning," She gazed at Tessa in slight confusion for a moment before smiling slyly. "Did you just get here?" Tessa glanced at her as she buried her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. She nodded, swallowing hard as she did so.

"Yeah, I, uh . . . I slept in late by accident . . ." Andrea nodded slowly, although her eyes flickered to Daryl standing not that far away. Standing by Dale, his arms crossed in front of his chest, she could see the glances he snuck Tessa out of the corner of her eye. She leaned in towards Tessa, a grin spreading across her face.

"Did you sleep with Daryl last night?" Tessa jumped at her words and Andrea had to force herself to keep back a loud, barking laugh at her reaction.

"W-What would make you say that?" She asked, and Andrea chuckled.

"Oh please honey, he keeps sneaking glances at you every five seconds!" She shrugged. "They're not exactly puppy love looks, but nonetheless, their _looks_!" Tessa grinned as her fingers flew to the necklace hanging around her throat – the one thing Daryl didn't even try to take off her the previous night. She shrugged.

"So what if I did?" She asked, and Andrea couldn't help but grin and laugh a little.

"Well . . . Daryl wouldn't exactly be my first choice, let me tell ya, but Hell, more power to ya, honey! We all deserve a little respite from this Hell! I should know more than anyone!" She spoke, her voice bitter when she remembered her sister, and Tessa nodded in agreement as they phased back into the debate currently raging while they stood there and talked about Tessa's most recent acquirement of a sex life.

"What if the CDC is still up and running?" Rick asked. "What if they have a cure? It's a government structure that they would protect at all times, right? They'd be shelter, provisions -!"

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? Well, I do too, okay?" Shane interrupted him, his voice diplomatic. "Now, if they exist, then they're gonna be at the army base – Fort Benning."

"That's one hundred miles, in the opposite direction!" Lori brought up and Shane nodded.

"It's away from the hot zone, though. But if that place is still operational, it'll be heavily armed and we'd be safe there!"

"What if isn't away from the hot zone, though? The military were on the front lines of this thing! The got overrun and their asses handed to them – we've all seen it! The CDC is our best choice and Jim's _only _chance!" Rick rebutted and it was then that Shane let out a sigh of irritation and turned to Tessa.

"Tessa, your one of the only people left here who has a child to look after as well as yourself!" He began and Tessa's eyebrows rose in amusement as she recoiled slightly, her arms moving to cross in front of her chest.

"Yeah, so – what about it?" Shane let out another sigh of irritation as he gave a roll of his eyes, as if he couldn't believe there were this many ignorant people in this group.

"Would you rather us go to safety, than follow some pipe dream about the CDC?" He asked, and Tessa let out a laugh, her eyes connecting with her son's standing beside T-Dog and Jacqui.

"Apologies, Shane, but speaking my son is already doing for this camp what men three times his age do, then I don't think I should be speaking for the both of us!" She smiled a tight, almost sarcastic smile. "That wouldn't exactly be fair towards Ethan!" Shane let out a scoff of disbelief.

"Well, no offense to you and your own, but what exactly is he doing here that's benefitting us? He's gone hunting _one _time! That's not exactly something that's happening all the damn time!" Tessa adopted a look of disgust on her face as Rick stepped forward slightly.

"Shane, lay off – this isn't the time -!"

Shane ignored him and simply ended up shrugging him off as Tessa retaliated. "Do you not remember that we got here only a day or two ago? Excuse me for thinking logically when you apparently cannot, but there are not many things that he can claim to have under his belt in only two days!"

"Except four squirrels and a rabbit," Daryl interjected quietly and Shane's eyes immediately turned onto him. Daryl shrugged. "The kid bagged them himself. I got absolutely nothin' yesterday afternoon. I had . . . too much on my mind to be of any use . . ." His eyes darted to Tessa and she smiled a small smile, one that Shane immediately noticed.

"Oh wow – that's it? Not a lot let me tell ya!"

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Listen, ya brayin' jackass! For only a day in the woods, it's not that bad! Granted, the kid's not me but he's _my _kid and he's _like _me! The kid's got talent – give him time and it'll be like you'll have a second me walkin' around!" Shane let out a bark of a laugh.

"Great – that's exactly what we need!"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, ya shitbag?" Daryl snapped, his eyes darkening with the infamous Dixon rage as he took a threatening step towards him. Shane flexed, ready for Daryl to slam into him, but people quickly interjected between them before something could happen. Rick had ahold of Shane and T-Dog stepped in front of Daryl. Tessa moved over to him as well, her hand moving to his shoulder.

"Daryl, it's nothing – let it go!" She urged him quickly, and Daryl glanced at her and held her gaze for a moment before reluctantly acquiescing. Shane's eyes darkened at the sight as everyone hesitantly stepped away from the confrontation.

"Yeah . . . yeah, go ahead and listen to ya _girl_!"

"Fucker, I won't hesitate to drop kick ya ass!" Daryl snapped at him through gritted teeth, his eyes becoming angry again. People stepped back towards them a little more as Tessa quickly moved to stand in front of Daryl, her hands planting on his chest. She was used to it. Many a time, she was the only thing keeping Daryl from smashing open Merle's skull on the floor or on the edge of a table and vice versa. She knew how to handle him. You shut up and stayed out of the way until you absolutely _needed_ to step in.

"Guys, guys – calm the fuck down, would ya?" Rick shouted over their yells and reluctantly, everyone quieted down. Ethan's slightly apprehensive gaze settled onto Daryl with his mother standing so protectively in front of him across the way and silently, Daryl nodded to him to come over to them. Ethan nodded and quickly obliged, where he made his way over to stand beside his father and mother. "You're discussing something that _does not _need to be discussed at this time!" Rick told them, his eyes settling onto Shane's with an alarming finality. "What we _do _need to discuss, however, is what the Hell to do from here! Once we figure that out and once we get there and stabilize ourselves – _then _we can revisit the topic if everyone feels like we should!"

"I think we need to follow your gut, Rick." Lori spoke, her voice coming out small, and Shane and Rick turned a surprised gaze onto her. Lori held Rick's gaze unflinchingly and slowly but steadily, everyone started agreeing – including Shane. Slowly but steadily, Tessa starting taking steps away from Daryl until she was completely sure he was calmed down enough to where he wouldn't be lunging at Shane again in anger. Rick turned his eyes onto Tessa, Ethan and the still steaming Daryl.

"What do you think, Tessa?" He asked, his voice quiet and respectful, and Tessa's lips pursed in slight irritation.

"We _need_ to stick together – that's what I think!" Ethan nodded in agreement, as well as Rick. He turned a fierce gaze onto Shane, who returned the stare with an equalness that only hinted at the slight resentment that simmered underneath the surface of his skin.

"Seem like the decision is made . . ." Rick spoke. "CDC it is then," He turned to address the others. "Get things ready to pack – we'll move out when everyone is ready but don't dawdle; I don't want to linger in case another horde comes along!"

Everyone moved away, then, ready to pack up their stuff and get rid of such a cursed place, however, Tessa lingered around Daryl. Her gaze slid mistrustfully over to Shane. "I think I want that relationship now." She told him, her voice quiet as her hand hovered over his forearm. Daryl nodded as he too pinned a mistrustful gaze onto Shane. He took her into his arms, his arms sliding around her tightly – more to show off Shane than for their own benefit.

"I'd question ya intelligence if ya didn't after that debacle!"

* * *

They had to leave Jim behind.

He had been bitten and after telling Rick that he couldn't go on anymore and to please leave him behind, that was what they did.

Tessa never really knew Jim – she met him only once for a brief time, but that was about it. She could see in the tearful eyes of Jacqui and some of the others, however, and knew that he had been an endeared member of the group. She could see the tenseness of Daryl's frame when Rick and Shane carefully set him against the tree and everyone moved to say their goodbyes – as the crowd steadily trickled away, leaving only the three of them standing there. Tessa didn't know what to do and neither did Ethan . . . She merely smiled in what she hoped was a comforting smile and Daryl only nodded towards him before quietly ushering them away towards the truck. Before that, Morales and his family left as well - choosing to go to Birmingham to their people. Tessa didn't really know them either but she knew they were good people and hoped for the best for them.

And now, here they were, at the huge, art deco styled CDC, one man short.

"Aw Jesus . . .!"

Ethan and Tessa immediately moved to cover their mouth and noses at the smell that hovered around the CDC with every dead body – civilian and military – that surrounded the governmental building. Everyone else did too except for the ones who were carrying more than one thing – men like Rick and Shane and Daryl.

"They reached the entrance as fast as they could, stepping over bodies and cringing as they moved through the thick black swarms of blowflies that hovered around them. Great steel shutters covered the doors and they came to a stop, Rick and Shane immediately moving over to the shutters. Tessa and Ethan immediately moved over more towards Daryl.

". . . If it's abandoned, then why are all the shutters down?" Rick spoke in reply to something that Shane had said and it was then that they heard someone yell:

"Walker!"

Daryl was the first to react while the others started to panic. A bolt from his crossbow found itself lodged in the walker's head as he whirled around to angrily face Rick.

"Ya led us to a _fuckin'_ graveyard!" Daryl roared as Tessa wrapped a protective embrace around their son. He glanced back to see if anymore walkers were approaching and instead, his eyes fell onto Tessa and Ethan and his eyes connected with hers. As soon as he saw the fear echoing in their eyes, a rage bubbled up in his stomach and he found himself turning back to Rick as Dale shot him a wide-eyed look.

"He made a call!" Dale replied and Daryl's teeth gritted in the same anger that rose up inside him.

"Well, it was the wrong damn call then!" He roared back before pinning Rick with a deadly stare. "I swear to _God_ if my girl or my kid gets bitten -!"

"Rick, we have _got to go_!" Shane told him, interrupting Daryl mid-sentence and Daryl quickly moved over to Tessa and Ethan. "The doors ain't gonna open!"

"Daryl . . ."

"It'll be fine, Tessa – _we'll_ be fine!" He assured her quickly as he wrapped an arm around them both, craning his head over them in order to see if anymore walkers were arriving. They were . . . steadily in force now.

Rick was roaring at the camera above one of the shutters that had supposedly 'moved'. He was roaring that whoever was in there was killing them – that they were about to die if he or she did not let them in and fast. It wasn't long before Shane had his arms wrapped around Rick's flailing body was slowly dragging him – literally, kicking and screaming – backwards towards the vehicles. Ethan felt himself close his eyes tight as he wrapped his arms around his mother's waist and followed blindly as Daryl led them backwards as well.

And then, as if the gates to Heaven themselves were opening, the steel shutters rose up with great metallic sounds and they skidded to a stop and turned around in wonder.

Rick was right . . . someone had been watching them.


	6. Chapter 6

**The level of the reviews for this story is too damn low! I mean, seriously, people? Where the Hell did all my reviewers go? I miss them - seriously! Is it too much to ask for them to step em up just a teensy bit? But aw well, I have a feeling that the end of the chapter is gonna get me the reviews I know and love ;)**

**There is a lemon in this chapter. Its slightly more raunchy than the first one but no where near raunchy as they're gonna get - just warnin' ya. This story is all about progression, as you'll no doubt see throughout the chapters and that encompasses everything from Daryl and Ethan's relationship to Daryl and Tessa's relationship and love scenes. **

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"Is there anybody in your group infected?"

The voice that rang out around them when they entered the great marble foyer of the CDC, took them all by surprise and they quickly turned around to see a tall man with blonde hair and wearing nothing that you would assume a scientist would wear. He was standing by an archway holding a gun – a military issued gun.

"One was," Rick told him before shaking his head. "He didn't make it, unfortunately . . ."

"Why are you here? What do you want?" The Scientist (at least, they could assume he was a scientist – who else would be there, after all) called back. His voice and his eyes were still untrusting and Tessa found herself unconsciously moving closer to Daryl, nonetheless. His arm moved around her shoulders and he pulled her tighter to him. Her arms moved tighter around Ethan in turn. The Scientist made a slow way down the stairs to their level the entire time, his gun still trained on them.

Rick replied back with, "A chance," And Tessa could practically see Daryl rolling his eyes at the answer. However, the Scientist didn't seem to think it was silly. He simply smiled a little as he took another few steps towards them.

"That's asking an awful lot these days . . . you do realize that, right?" Rick nodded, signaling that he did indeed know and the Scientist took in all of their wide-eyed, frightened faces for a moment, his eyes lingering on the children a minute longer than the others, before swallowing hard and nodding.

"You will all submit to a blood test – that's the price of admission!" His voice was slightly stronger when he said this, and Rick nodded, the relief he felt at finally getting his group to safety, rolled off him in waves.

"Yes - yes, we can do that!" The Scientist nodded and sighed as he lifted the muzzle of the gun away from them, pointing towards the doors as he did so.

"You got stuff to get, you bring it in now – once these doors close, they aren't opening again!" Rick nodded as everyone immediately ran for the doors to get whatever they needed from the vehicles. When they were back, they pulled shut the doors and the Scientist moved to close the shutters and to kill the upstairs power. It was as the shutters closed, that Rick moved to introduce himself, the Scientist replying with a semi-cautious,

"Doctor Edwin Jenner."

* * *

The blood tests, Tessa assumed, were purely to cover Jenner's own ass and the Scientist admitted as much when Andrea asked if they were infected, wouldn't they be running a fever? She didn't mind the blood test – after all, she had, had them done before while pregnant, and Ethan hardly flinched as well when Jenner took his. It didn't seem to mind the others as well but she could tell, by the paper-white look of Daryl's face as his eyes remained unflinchingly on the various needles lying on the table beside Jenner, that he was going to have a major problem.

Daryl was afraid of needles.

"What's with Daryl?" Lori asked her, her voice barely above a quiet whisper as she leaned into to talk to Tessa, and Tessa glanced up at her and smiled.

"He's afraid of needles." She replied back and the look of shock on Lori's face was almost comical.

"Daryl Dixon . . . is afraid of _needles_?" She asked slowly, as if allowing the news to fully sink in as she did so, and the scowl that Daryl threw her definitely almost made Tessa want to laugh. She knew that Daryl could hear them - after all, he wouldn't be a good tracker if he couldn't, but Lori didn't and a hot flush ran across her face at getting caught talking about someone else.

"Yeah, what if I am?" He hissed back and Lori opened her mouth to say something, however, she was interrupted by Jenner motioning for Daryl to approach him and the table. The man's face (if possible) whitened even more and he couldn't help but swallow the hard knot that had been steadily growing in his throat since the words 'blood test' was first spoken. Tessa smiled and leaned up on her tip-toes, where she kissed him on the cheek.

"You'll be fine – don't worry about it!" She told him and he scowled again as he moved out of her reach although his eyes held a slight strength in them from her words that she hadn't noticed before.

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Ya don't have to harp on me woman!" He snapped as he moved down past the rows of chairs towards Jenner and the table. Walking as tall as he could and as cockily as he could, only Tessa and Lori could see how really afraid he was.

"That is _so_ ironic!" Lori couldn't help but laugh with a roll of her eyes and Tessa grinned and glanced at her.

"That he's afraid of needles?" Lori nodded.

"Well, yeah! Here he is, completely unafraid of beings that could _literally_ rip his face off, yet he is absolutely terrified of one tiny little needle!" Tessa turned her attention back onto Daryl, laughing quietly at the sight of him determinedly not gazing down at the needle and she shook her head.

"That's Daryl for ya, though, Lori. He's always freaked out about the little things, opposed to the big things."

* * *

"But _mom_ – Ethan got to have some!"

The entire table laughed as Lori shared an amused look with Tessa. "Yes, well, that's because Ethan's parents are not . . ." She stopped, searching for the correct word while all-the-while forcing a smile to not find a home on her face. The entire thing caused everyone to break out into laughter again as Tessa reached out a hand. She had laughed as well and while Daryl did not, a look of amusement shone in his eyes as well. Daryl Dixon had never been one for outright laughter unless he was extremely close to you.

"It's okay Lori, we get it!" She laughed as Ethan took a drink of wine before sliding it away from him, a slightly disgusted look on his face. Daryl grinned and laughed as he ruffled the kid's hair.

"That's my kid – ain't got the taste for wine, huh?" He asked with a grin and Tessa immediately pinned him with a look.

"He might not, but that is _not_ the excuse you need to give him something heavier, Daryl Dixon!" She told him and he arched an eyebrow in playful challenge as he took a gulp of whatever liquid he was drinking from the bottle he held in his hand. He left it at that, though, as Dale poured himself a drink.

"You know, Lori, in France, it is normal for a child to have a little wine with dinner - Germany too!" Lori laughed as she placed a hand on the top of her son's glass currently filled with wine.

"Be that as he may, when Carl is in France or Germany, he can, but here, no." Laughter rang out again as Rick gave her a look. "What?"

"Let him have some – what can it hurt?" Her eyes widened in slight skepticism and Rick laughed. "Go on - let him have some! Like he said, Ethan's had some and it doesn't look like anything adverse has happened to the boy!" Lori couldn't help but grin as she shared another amused look with Tessa, who gave an indifferent shrug of her shoulders before she slowly took her hand away from the glass.

"Fine, go ahead!"

Carl shared a look with Ethan across the table before he picked up the glass and took a small sip – a sip much smaller than the one Ethan had. Like Ethan, a look of disgust immediately appeared on his face as well as he shoved the glass away. "Eww! That tastes nasty!" Ethan nodded in agreement as the adults laughed.

"That's my boy – that is my boy!" She muttered as she picked up the glass and upturned the rest of it into hers. Shane grinned from across him.

"Stick to soda pop, buddy!" He told him and Carl nodded and smiled a small smile in agreement.

"Not you Glenn!"

The amused voice came from Daryl and Tessa looked over at him in interest as Daryl got to his feet, a twinkle of amusement in his eye as he turned a look onto Glenn across the way as he reached for another glass, where he poured him some more wine. The younger man had been observing a bottle of wine in his hands and turned an oblivious look up onto Daryl.

"What?" Daryl grinned.

"Keep drinkin' little man - I wanna see how red ya face can get!" Everyone laughed again and Glenn rolled his eyes good-naturedly as he took the glass of wine from Daryl, who was still nursing the harder stuff. No one noticed when Rick turned an impassive gaze onto Jenner, who was sitting a little ways away from them, a conflicted look on his face.

"I forgot how you are when you drink!" Tessa grinned as she pulled Daryl back down to her and he returned the grin as he retook his seat beside her.

"Oh yeah? And how do I act, Tessa?" She shrugged.

"You're a happy drunk – you always have been. It's a relief!" She leaned in to peck him on the lips and when she withdrew, her grin had turned down to a smile and her voice had become a whisper. "It's a relief to see something normal for once!" Daryl's grin turned down to a soft smile as well as he leaned in and kissed her softly. Only a couple of people there saw noted the affection in their kiss and they both took hearty gulps of their wine.

Now that it was clear between them that, for all intents and purposes, they were together again, things had smoothed considerably between them. While Daryl still flinched at her affectionate touches whenever he didn't know they were coming, he allowed them nonetheless and everyone there had immediately taken notice when Daryl started to relax and let down his walls ever-so-slightly. And while it was clear that there were still some things in their relationship that he would never be able to forgive (like her leaving him), he was content to leave those alone now and just enjoy what life had given him amidst the shithole of the current world. Even Ethan had started to open up slightly with his tentative friendships with both Carl and Sophia and found that he didn't mind it when Daryl switched from 'the kid' and started calling him, 'my kid' instead. At least he was acknowledging that he was his father now. At least it was a start.

The tinkling of silverware against glass halted everyone's laughter as Rick rose from his seat. Daryl and Tessa parted, only for Daryl to place an arm around Tessa's shoulders and bring her closer to him. "It just occurred to me . . . I don't think we have given our host a proper thank you!" He spoke as he rose his glass up towards Jenner sitting a few feet away. Everyone immediately joined in the toast, Daryl even contributing a 'booyah' as he rose the bottle he had been drinking from, because, after all, he _was_ Daryl Dixon and when have you ever thought of Daryl Dixon drinking from a glass? Tessa couldn't help but laugh as she raised a glass to him too, echoes of 'thank you' coming from everywhere. Jenner smiled a tight smile and raised his glass in turn before he took a sip from it.

And it was then, when everyone was having such a great time, that Shane had to be the complete and total buzz-kill that he was.

"So when are you gonna tell us what the Hell happened here, doc?"

Everyone fell silent then, their mood of merriment completely evaporating. Jenner took another sip of his wine before turning a polite gaze onto him as Shane continued blithely on: "All the, uh . . . the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what the Hell happened . . . where are they?" Rick turned a politely reprimanding look onto Shane.

"Buddy, we're celebrating! Now is not the time to be asking questions like that!"

"But wait a second! This is why we're here, right? This was your move – supposed to find all the answers! Instead we, uh . . . we found him!" He jerked a thumb in the direction of Jenner who was gazing at him with an expression that Tessa couldn't rightly place – that no one could rightly place! "We found one man. Why not can we ask these questions?"

"Well, when things got bad," Jenner began. "A lot of people just . . . _left –_ went off to be with their families, I suspect. And when things got worse – when the military cordon got overrun, for example – the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane asked in sick amusement, and Jenner shook his head.

"No, don't be silly. Many couldn't face walking out the door. They . . ." He paused for a short time to search for the right word. "_Opted out_ . . . there was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave, though . . ." Andrea brought up. "Why didn't you leave?"

"I just kept working . . . hoping to do some good, I suppose." He replied and Glenn rolled his eyes as he pinned Shane with a disgusted look.

"You are _such _a buzz-kill, man!"

* * *

Tessa almost died in delight when she turned on the shower later that night to find hot water spraying down from the shower-head. Jenner wasn't lying – there _was _hot water and it was possibly the biggest luxury that not one of them had, had in probably a _very _long time. Hell, Tessa couldn't help but let out a moan of happiness before nearly jumping out of her skin when she felt the door of the shower open behind her. She relaxed, however, when she glanced behind her and found that it was only Daryl and not, God forbid, Shane. She fought to rein her frantic heartbeat under control.

"Hey, where's my kid?" He asked her as he moved further into the shower, and Tessa grinned and rolled her eyes as she tilted her head back, allowing the hot water to run over her throat and down her front. She shivered in delight as one of her hands moved over her slicked back hair.

"_Ethan _just took a shower. I wouldn't be surprised if he's passed out on one of the couches but I'm pretty sure he's in the rec room playing games with Carl and Sophia." She laughed and could see the conspiratorial grin as he moved up behind her.

"So, in other words, we have the _whole_ shower to ourselves?" He asked in fake awe, and she nodded and chuckled as he kissed the side of her neck.

"Yes, the whole . . . _entire _shower!" She replied, still grinning as she turned around and directed him to stand in the hot spray. He let out a groan at the feel of the warmth, although a playfully irked look appeared in his eyes.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say ya were insinuatin' somethin' . . ." He muttered, and Tessa laughed as she pushed the soap into his hands. Rolling his eyes he began to wash himself as she stepped closer to him and turned around. He got the request and his soapy hands ran up her back for a moment instead of himself.

"Daryl, don't get me wrong! You are possibly the _only_ man in the world who could be covered in fuckin' mud and I would still fuck you into oblivion!" She grinned and he couldn't help but grin as well he tilted her head back and kissed her. It was a sweet kiss and when they broke apart and his lips attached to the back of her neck, Tessa ended up closing her eyes in bliss. "However, you being clean is the first absolute turn-on I'd ever jump to!"

He chuckled as he turned her around and when his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands moving to cup her ass, her hands moved to his neck, where she pressed a kiss to his throat, her tongue sweeping over the pulse-point in his neck. Daryl let out a low moan and it was then that Tessa pulled him down to her and kissed him roughly, her arms winding around his neck. Her tongue ran against the roof of his mouth and whatever was left of Daryl's will collapsed at that moment. He gathered her up in his arms and pushed her up against the wall of the shower, where he kissed her deeply and passionately, his tongue entwining with hers - both muscles fighting tooth and nail for dominance. Tessa readily jumped up into Daryl's arms, hooking her legs around his waist, and her hands gripped his biceps as he pinned her between the unmoving shower wall and his hard, muscular body. He attacked a nipple, laving it with his tongue and she let out a moan, her fingers curling in his hair.

Their lips met again and he slid his hands up her sides, enjoying the feel of her curves before one hand cupped a breast, where he ran a callused thumb over the pebbling nipple. She moaned into his mouth as she pressed her body against his. His other hand curved around her ass, pulling her close against his enticing hardness.

She pressed herself harder up against the wall behind her, Daryl stepping closer to her as she did so. His knee slipped in-between her thighs and their lips crushed together in a passionate, frenzied kiss as her arms moved to wrap around his back. She begged him to take her in desire-filled whispers, and he did.

Her hands smoothed over his bare chest and over his shoulders, where she gripped them from behind as he entered her with a quick thrust that made her let loose a little moan of pleasure and she parted her legs for him even more, begging him to go faster and harder.

She murmured his name as one of her hands clenched tightly in his hair and she let out a moan. Her moans eventually raised in a crescendo as her nails ran down his strong, rigid back, leaving scratches in their wake. They found their end on the small of his back, where she gripped his ass, her fingers biting into the soft flesh. Daryl's lips left her neck and he grinned at the feeling.

"God_damn_, have I missed the feelin' of ya hands on my ass . . .!" He whispered teasingly and she laughed as he kissed the hallow of her throat, gently biting down at the flesh located there, although the slight stinging pain of the cuts on his back left by her nails, caused him to let out a growl as his hips thrusted faster in-between her legs, blurring the fine line between pain and pleasure slightly. He thrusts came faster and faster and seconds after she came with his name on her lips, he managed to give one final thrust home before he came hard inside her.

Their chests heaving afterwards, both of them trying desperately to catch their breath, Daryl gazed down at the beautiful visage of Tessa lying against the shower wall, her heavily-lidded, brown sloe-eyes and dark brown hair surrounding the white wall behind her, her mocha-colored skin flushed a delightful pink with the last remnants of pleasure. She smiled and he chose that time to lean down and kiss her lovingly as he gently pulled out of her and set her down on her feet.

"You . . . you stay and finish your shower. I gotta go get Ethan from the rec room. I bet he's as exhausted as we are!" She told him with a smile and a laugh, and Daryl nodded. She gave him one last, lingering kiss before leaving the shower. She wrapped a fluffy white towel around herself and walked into the room the three of them were sharing. She dressed in a comfortable pair of yoga pants and matching tank top before heading from the room after toweling off her hair.

She moved past the rec room where Ethan sat playing checkers with Carol, Sophia and Carl, and towards the big room. Jenner was working alone at his customary bank of computers and Tessa let out a cough as she neared him. He looked up and immediately, a look of confusion appeared on his face as he pushed himself away from the computers.

"It's uh . . . Tessa, right?" He asked, and she smiled and nodded. "What can I do for you this evening?" She heaved a sigh and looked down at her hands.

"Can you, uh . . . can you still do medical tests?" She asked and Jenner nodded, an even more confused look appearing on his face.

"Well, yeah, I did take your blood earlier, remember?" He asked with a little laugh, and she nodded, a laugh coming her as well.

"Well, yeah I know that, but . . . I didn't know if you shut off the power to wherever you do it at or what, but . . . I need you to do something for me, if possible. I mean, I know you don't owe us anything and it is completely your choice to tell me no, but . . . it would certainly give me some much needed peace of mind!" He nodded, his eyes softening slightly.

"Tessa, don't think anything of it – whatever you need, I'll do whatever it is in my power to see it done! Now, tell me . . . what do you need done?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Are you people cereal? One review for the last chapter and it was from an anonymous guest (thank you, btw, whoever you are - the review was awesome and muchly appreciated!). So damn . . . I guess review if you want to now LOL  
**

**Sorry if this chapter is a little boring - I'm rearing to get on to the next season because I have a lot of twists and turns planned for those chapters and I'm sorry if I kinda rushed this one (although those of you who are fans of Daryl and Tessa fluff, will not be disappointed!)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Tessa awoke that morning and found that she almost didn't want to move. She was so warm and comfortable that all she wanted to do was curl even more under the covers and into Daryl's arms, however, the smell of frying bacon coming from the end of the hall that wafted into their room, would have roused any human from their sleep.

"Is that the smell of bacon?"

Tessa laughed and nodded as she turned drowsily over, where she saw Daryl waking up as well, rubbing the sleep from one eye with the heel of his hand. It wasn't him that said it, though, and when she glanced over at Ethan, she saw that he was awake as well, his nose scrunched up and a curious look appearing in his eyes. She grinned.

"Yes it is – isn't that awesome? It's an amazing smell - _God _I've missed bacon!"

"It's the most disgustin' smell right now to me! All that damn grease makes me wanna hurl!" Daryl mumbled and Tessa turned back around.

"Well that's what you get for getting shitfaced drunk! Of course, you didn't seem _that _drunk in the shower last night!" She spoke, her voice quiet so that only he could hear her, and she could see him grin. He opened his mouth to say something but they were interrupted by Ethan jumping up and pulling his clothes on.

"Come on – come on, mom – dad! There's _bacon _for God's sake!" He spoke excitingly and Tessa grinned and nodded.

"Well go and ask Dale or T-Dog very nicely for some bacon – we'll be there shortly!" Ethan nodded before pulling on his shoes and bounding from the room. Daryl laughed from his spot lying beside her.

"Did I just get called 'dad'?" He asked in slight incredulity and Tessa nodded as she leaned over and kissed him. He kissed her back for a moment but when they broke apart, she found that he was still grinning in slight shock. "I just got called _dad_ . . .!"

"What's wrong with it?" She asked, laughing a little and he shook his head.

"Nothin', I suppose . . ." He shrugged. "Guess I jus' can't call him 'my kid' anymore, though, can I?" She laughed as she flipped the covers off of her and pulled spare clothes from the nearby duffel bag.

"Yeah, that's kinda expected because, after all, when a kid calls you 'dad', that normally means 'just-call-me-by-my-first-name' with a boy. With a girl, it signifies that you can start giving her nicknames like 'Princess' and 'buttercup' -!"

"What the fuck men have ya been around since ya left me?" He interrupted her with a scoff. "Cause, I don' know 'bout you, but any daughter of mine ain't gettin' those damn nicknames!" He got to his feet then and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course, I'm not referring to you – just another population of men that you, quite obviously, do not fit into! However, there's also the slim to medium chance that he could have just been so excited about finally getting some bacon, that he wasn't watching what he said!" Daryl rolled his eyes as he pulled on his jeans.

"Yeah, watch tha be my luck, too!"

Tessa had finished dressing by then and was stooped down, placing her and Ethan's dirty clothes into the duffel bag before turning her eyes back onto Daryl. "Do you want him . . . to call you dad?" She asked and he gazed at her for a moment, thinking on what to say before shrugging. He pulled on his shirt then, his eyes moving downwards to the floor.

"Truthfully . . .? It is a little . . . _strange_. I figure out jus' a couple of days ago that I have a kid and already he's startin' to call me dad - even if he doesn't exactly mean it!" He shrugged and when he turned his eyes onto her, they were full of longing. "I want it, Tessa, don' get me wrong – I've wanted it with you since that night in the barn, but . . . it's still alarmin' to hear when you haven't spent all of the first year of their life preparin' yourself for it, to say the least!" Tessa nodded and smiled weakly as she got to her feet and moved over to him, where she moved over to him. Hands smoothing over his shoulders to grasp his neck, she gazed into his eyes.

"You do not _ever _have to worry about us leaving you again, Daryl!" She assured him, her voice firm and to-the-point. She shook her head. "It was a stupid decision borne on impulse – a decision that I've regretted making for the last thirteen years of my life! It's not going to happen again - _ever_ - you have my word!" Daryl nodded and shrugged.

"Why ya gotta keep sproutin' off shit I already know, Tessa?" He asked with a look of slight confusion on his face and tears immediately flooded her eyes as her arms moved around him in a shaking embrace, an embrace that he readily reciprocated. Even now, a decade and a few after they first met and Daryl Dixon still had the ability to shock her and make tears appear in her eyes.

* * *

That morning's breakfast had been amazing – full of eggs and bacon and coffee – all the luxury food that they had, had to give up when the walkers hit. Daryl, of course, stupidly hung-over like Glenn and Rick, ate much of nothing, the grease making them want to hurl, but Tessa and Ethan both had - probably more than they should have, to tell the truth. That afternoon had been informative with Jenner showing them the video of how exactly the virus attacked and reanimated a body.

But it had quickly gone to Hell after that.

They had been arguing over Jenner not telling them what was really going on - that why was there only one generator left working, when suddenly, there was a great buzzing echoing around the room - a buzzing that immediately had a majority of the group panicking. VI, in her mechanical, robotic voice announced that there was thirty minutes left to decontamination and Shane and T-Dog quickly began herding everyone to the doors to get their stuff – telling everyone that they were leaving. Daryl was the one who made sure his family was the first to the doors when they slid, forbiddingly shut.

The look of horror and fear that started echoing on everyone's faces at that moment was practically simultaneous in its appearance. "Did he just lock us in?" Glenn asked, fear written more evident on his face than maybe anyone else's, as he turned back to face the vast majority of the others grouped around the stairs that led to the bank of computers - those who had not had the chance to reach the doors like Daryl, Tessa and Ethan did. "For the love of God – he just locked us in!"

"Oh Jesus - _Daryl_!"

Immediately (For it seemed, kinda creepily, that his senses were beginning to tune into them whenever he was around them) he glanced back and saw the fear echoing in Tessa and Ethan's eyes as Tessa pulled Ethan into a protective embrace that wasn't at all different from the one Lori and Carol had Carl and Sophia in. He immediately felt anger bubbling up in him again as he turned around and quickly found Jenner hanging on the outside fringes of the group.

"You _son-of-a-bitch -_!" He roared and Rick twirled around on his heels when he heard Daryl's outburst.

"Shane -!"

"You fuckin' locked us in here!"

"_Shane -_!"

Daryl had just enough time to latch onto the back of Jenner's chair when Shane all but football tackled Daryl. He carried Daryl off as T-Dog quickly tried to talk him down, a bottle of gin held aloft in Daryl's hand. He had originally wanted to smash it over his head like his old man did to him and Merle (and Hell, he _knew _how much damage _that _could do!) but now, he found himself now wanting to shove it up his ass. Jenner was visibly shaking when Tessa and Ethan climbed the stairs to the rest of the group, where Dale immediately put his arm around Tessa in as comforting a fatherly gesture as he could get. She shot him a weak look as Daryl found himself still needing to be restrained.

"Open the damn door you fuckin' _cunt_!" He roared as he fought tooth and nail for Shane and T-Dog to release him, however, the men were stronger than they looked, although holding Daryl back was proving to be a feat in and of itself.

"Jenner, open that door now!" Rick spoke, his voice diplomatic but also emphatic, as he made his way over to the shaken scientist, who shook his head.

"I can't do a thing! Everything topside is completely sealed, as is the emergency exits. There's not a thing I can do!"

"Well, open the damn things!" Daryl snapped, his anger considerably cooled but still bubbling nonetheless. Jenner shook his head.

"That's not something I control – the computers do! I _told _you! Once those front doors closed, they wouldn't open again – you guys _heard_ me say it!"

Shane and T-Dog had let go of Daryl at that moment and he shot Jenner a look as Tessa immediately flew into his arms, shaking like a damn bird in fear. "Are you guys okay?" He quietly asked Ethan when the boy joined them, his hand moving to grip one of his small, thin shoulders, and he nodded. He was shaken and clearly afraid, however, he'd be damned if he would show it. Daryl smiled a small smile. "That's ma boy . . .!" He murmured as he pulled him in his arms as well, the three of them turning their attentions onto Jenner at that moment.

"It's better this way!" Jenner spoke with conviction and Rick immediately let out a scathing laugh.

"What is? What happens in twenty-eight minutes?" He asked, his eyes finding themselves glued to the clock hanging on the far wall that had been counting down since they first arrived there. Jenner pursed his lips and turned back around to type on his computer, an action that was greeted by Shane's boot in the chair's ass as Rick rephrased his question, with a little more anger that time. "What the _fuck _happens in twenty-eight minutes!"

"Do you know what this place is?" Jenner shouted at him as he finally had enough and got to his feet. He immediately turned his ire onto Rick, who stood there, momentarily stunned at the man's anger. "We protected the public from _very _nasty stuff! Weaponized smallpox and Ebola strains that could wipe out _half _the fucking country – shit you don't ever want getting out!"

Daryl still looked like he wanted to rip the man's head off, but his grip on Tessa and Ethan had grown tighter just a little at his words. Jenner sat back down then and straightened his clothes – getting himself under composure – before speaking again. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure – in a terrorist attack, for example – HITs are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"HITs?" Rick asked as he pinned Jenner with soul-ripping stare. Jenner asked VI to define at that moment and immediately when the computer began talking, Tessa felt her heart pound away in her chest and even more tears appear in her eyes. She knew what HITs were . . . Sam had known and he had told her about them one day – she remembered that he had called them a 'marvel of modern engineering'. She wondered if he would think they were so great now.

"HITs – high-impulse, thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear -!" Everyone began breaking down at that point. Carol, tears in her eyes, pulled her daughter close and when Ethan finally collapsed with tears in his eyes too, Daryl squatted down, the both of them following suit as he took them into his arms. Tessa immediately broke down into sobs against Daryl's chest and took her son in her arms as he cried too. "The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between five thousand and six thousand degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."

"It sets the air on fire . . ." Jenner began, his voice pensive and almost wistful. "There is no pain . . . an end to sorrow, grief . . . regret," He turned his eyes onto the men grouped around him then. "Everything . . ."

Everybody had been so busy temporarily mourning, that they didn't notice it when Daryl gently pulled himself from Tessa and Ethan's embrace, to stand with Rick by the doors of the big lab. He stood there for a minute, glaring at the doors as if by sheer force of will alone he could open them. He stood there, feeling his anger steadily build up within him until, with a roar, he launched the bottle of gin at the door before wheeling around and heading back towards Jenner. "Open the _goddamn_ door!"

Shane ran past him with a fireman's ax in his hand and T-Dog shouted Daryl's name before tossing him one. Daryl expertly caught it before he turned around and ran at the door. Tessa and Ethan moved over to sit beside Carol and Sophia and Lori and Carl, the pounding of the ax against the metal door, the sounds of their only salvation . . . a weak, impossible salvation.

"You should have left well enough alone – it would have been so much easier -!"

"Easier for whom, dare I ask?" Lori immediately asked with an enraged tone to her voice that Tessa had never heard her adopt before. She pulled Ethan closer to her, the boy's head moving to pillow in her lap and she fought to hold back more tears as she felt his hit her legs.

"All of you!" He replied as Rick came back to join them. "You know what are out there – a short, brutal life and an agonizing death!"

"Well I don't. Want. _This_." Rick hissed at him emphatically when Jenner turned his eyes onto him. "I don't want this for my family – nor for Daryl's or Carol and Sophia – _not one of us _wants this!"

An ax thudded against one of the computer banks as Shane joined them, his breathing tearing ragged from his lungs. "We can't make a dent in that door, although Daryl's fuckin' trying his damndest!"

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher!" Jenner told them patiently, slowly, as if he was telling it to a child, and Daryl let out another a roar of rage.

"Yeah, well ya head ain't!" He snapped, his eyes wild with rage as he ran at him, ax ready to swing downwards. However, Dale and Shane immediately jumping in-between them, the two people grabbing ahold of Daryl by the waist and hoisting him backwards. T-Dog grabbed the ax from his hand just as they successfully propelled him backwards.

"Back up – just _back _the _fuck _up!" Daryl snapped at him, his anger just barely contained as he stalked around them, his eyes predatorily pinned on Jenner. "Can I get to my fuckin' family?" He all but snapped again and they nodded and slowly parted as he stalked past them, where he reached Tessa and Ethan in record time. Nailed hands latching onto his shirt, he found himself dragged downwards as she threw her arms around him. Tessa could feel his anger throbbing just under the surface of his skin and she shushed him gently as his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her as close to him as he dared without shifting Ethan from her lap.

"There is no hope!" Jenner told him and Rick turned an incredulous gaze onto him.

"There is always hope! Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but _somebody, somewhere -_"

"What part of 'everything is gone', do you not understand?" Andrea interrupted him icily, and Jenner nodded in agreement.

"Listen to your friend . . . she gets it."

Sobs could be quietly heard coming from the small group of people leaning against the bank of computers across from him and he turned his eyes onto Carol after shooting Daryl a hesitant look. Daryl wasn't worried about him, though, for once. "This isn't right!" Carol cried. "You can't just keep us here!"

"It is just one tiny moment – a millisecond – there is no pain -!"

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" She interrupted him through tears and for a split second, Tessa felt Ethan jump at the sudden high pitch.

And then, Tessa felt Daryl tense up. Their eyes shot up, right when Shane cocked a gun and made his way for Jenner. Rick shouted his name and immediately people flocked to him but Shane was obviously driven. He reached Jenner before anyone could get a firm handhold on him like they did Daryl, and pointed the shotgun at Jenner's face – squarely between the eyes. The scientist swallowed heavily as he leaned as far back in his chair as he could.

"Open that door, or I'm gonna blow your head off! Do you understand me?" He asked as Daryl immediately got the people behind him to move. They stumbled away as Rick leaned into Shane and jumped into the process of trying to talk him down. Apparently, it worked, because after letting out a roar of fury, he unloaded a total of four shots into a nearby bank of computers and one into the above light fixture before Rick managed to wrest the gun from him and pistol-butted him in the face.

Jenner explained to them exactly why they were there – that he had to give up for his wife's sake – for Subject 19's sake, and that he rather the world lost him instead of her – an Einstein in their field. Daryl, meanwhile, had resumed trying to break down the door with his ax and even though he knew it would never work, he would do anything to get his anger out in a way that did not include beating or hacking Jenner's face apart.

Finally, Jenner heaved a sigh. "I told you that topside's locked down. I can't open those," The look of relief on everyone's face was clear as he moved over to a keypad, scanned a card and then entered a code that opened the door. Daryl glanced behind him. "Come on – Tessa, Ethan, come on!" He shouted as he bent down and grabbed up the second ax standing against the wall beside the door and while Tessa and Ethan didn't have to be told twice, the others lingered behind until T-Dog and Shane started herding them towards the door.

Tessa looked back as she and Ethan followed Daryl down the hallway towards their room. They'd grab their shit and then make for the main floor, where they would try their damndest to get out before they were all incinerated and blown to smithereens. Her eyes connected briefly with Jenner's over everybody's heads and he smiled a small smile and nodded. It was a gesture that she readily reciprocated.


	8. Chapter 8

**I had originally decided to leave this chapter on a cliffhanger but considering what that cliffhanger would have been, I decided not to based on the fact that you guys probably would have rioted at the end ha ha. **

**This chapter is also pretty AU in the fact that it doesn't really go along with the episode its based on but I did that to suit my own means and so I'm sorry towards those of you who were expecting it :)**

**So, without further ado, Read, Review and Enjoy!**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Somewhere along the road from Atlanta to Fort Benning (Daryl forgot exactly where) he had to get rid of his truck. And granted, Shane had to also let go of his Jeep too but you couldn't _tell_ Daryl that Shane was as tore up about leaving behind his Jeep as Daryl was about losing his truck (even though it was, after all, a Jeep). He had, had that truck since before he could remember – it was the first thing he bought _for him_ – something that him and Merle hadn't had to pool their money in together and buy – that and his crossbow. And now all he had left was Merle's bike – something that technically wasn't even his.

In the beginning, when he first lowered it down from the bed of his dead truck, he had almost wanted to laugh at the irony and he could see from Tessa's face that she had too. Here he was, riding a black Harley Davidson with Neo-Nazi symbols on it and with an American Indian woman sitting behind him on it. The irony was practically priceless.

However, he didn't know if going to Fort Benning was necessarily the right thing to do – if leading the caravan of now only three vehicles to a place that they had no idea contained what, on just a black Harley Davidson with Tessa clinging to him on the back, was a good thing. And truthfully, he had no idea how the bike had not managed to catch the attention of a horde of walkers by that point anyway!

But, alas, it was not his place to judge any of Rick's decisions (some that were loads better than any that jackass Shane had and some that he wanted to kill him for having the balls to make) and while he normally would have said 'fuck you' to any plan he at first didn't like, he had still allowed himself and his family to get drug into the CDC where they had been almost _killed_ if they hadn't escaped by the skin of their teeth! Now why in the _Hell _did he allow that to happen? For God's sake, Merle would have handed him his ass on a silver platter for his stupidity if he knew!

And yet, there it was . . . the one reason he stayed with the group because, after all, there _was_ safety in numbers right: his family. Tessa and Ethan. And while he had no doubt in his mind that between him and Ethan they would be perfectly able to look out for themselves, something still made him pause. Despite the sometimes clear chasm that was in the group, there was still a sense of comradely and family that he didn't think Tessa and Ethan should go without – even in the zombie apocalypse!

Merle would have sneered and called his weak upon seeing the way he was following after an Indian squaw and their brat like he was. His father would have called him weak as well and then smashed a beer or liquor bottle over his head as if pounding the point home. His mother . . . his mother would have done nothing, let's just put it at that.

And yet . . . his uncle Jess, who had always been a vocal advocate for him and Tessa, would have told him to keep on keeping on because what were you without family – even your kid and his mother. He found himself seeking more and more solace in surely what his uncle Jess would have said, than anything his brother or his father or mother would ever have said.

"Daryl, wait a minute . . ."

Daryl paused at Tessa's tired voice (she had obviously been drowsing against his back) and turned to glance back. The Winnebago had stopped before a cluster of dead cars and Dale was leaning out the window with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he searched the road ahead to see if they could find a path. Daryl sighed and turned the bike around, where he headed back towards the Winnebago.

"Can you find a path?" Dale asked him and Daryl nodded, gesturing with his head back the way he had come from.

"Yeah, come one . . ." He told him as he rode around the Winnebago in order to turn the bike around. Carefully and slowly, Daryl and Tessa led the way, weaving in-between cars and trucks inch by careful inch, Dale's eyes peeled to make sure he could in-between spaces that Daryl had misjudged.

And then, much to their horrible luck, a hissing and white steam suddenly started issuing forth from the Winnebago, causing Dale to come to an immediate stop. "Daryl, they've stopped – they're having issues with the radiator again . . ." Tessa told him and Daryl glanced back before bringing Merle's bike to a slow stop, cutting off the engine seconds later. He allowed her to get off first before he did and they made their way to the Winnebago, where everyone was out and about and crowded around it.

"What's wrong?" Tessa asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, and Dale shrugged, his eyes slightly weary as he glanced at the two new people who had so recently joined them. Now that she was walking, Tessa was awake now, although she hardly classified drowsing on the back of a moving bike soothing' enough to go to sleep.

"Tube's given out again. I can fix it but I'll need some time – Hell, one these cars or trucks might even have a new one that I can replace it with!" He answered, and Daryl nodded as he jerked a thumb back towards the bike.

"While you do that, I'll take my crossbow and scout out ahead on foot – make sure the road we were followin' has a happy endin'," He nodded towards Ethan who had just recently stepped out of the Winnebago on Rick's heels. "Ya wanna come with?" Ethan nodded in slight excitement that he managed to curb off just in time as to not appear _too _excited, before he ducked back inside the Winnebago to grab his bow. Tessa turned a slightly apprehensive gaze onto Daryl and he shot her a soothing one in turn as he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "You don't have to worry none, Tessa – we'll back before ya even be able to miss us!" He promised her and she nodded but crossed her arms self-consciously in front of her chest as Ethan reappeared from the Winnebago and moved to join them. He gave his mom a comforting smile, one that she replied with a kiss of her own on his forehead before him and Daryl turned and moved ahead. She watched them go with a soft, slightly wary eye that some there – not all, but the scant people she was close to – couldn't help but notice.

Even though Ethan was the same age as Carl and Sophia, he was taller than either of them – positively gangly for his age. He was almost as tall as her but she knew he was going to be right around Daryl's height when he reached his upper teens, if not as well-built too, knowing Daryl and his penchant to put a 110% into anything and everything he did. Sometimes, thanks to these characteristics, Tessa sometimes forgot that her son was thirteen and thought of him in terms of more as an adult, which she knew many parents would frown upon. But what do you do when your kid's childhood ends at the onset of the walker apocalypse and to treat them like a child could be the one thing that finally does them in? Sure, she would feel safer if he was still slightly innocent and impish like Carl and Sophia were, but honestly, with a father like Daryl Dixon, she wouldn't have it any other way.

If any of the children in their group would survive long enough to see the end of this whole shitheap that had become the world . . . she knew with absolute (and some would even go so far as to probably say 'blind') certainty, that it would be her child.

"Hey Tessa, we're gonna go look through some of the cars to try and find anything useful, you wanna come?"

It was Lori and Carol who had spoken and after heaving a sigh, she smiled and nodded as she turned around to face them. "Yeah, I suppose I will. It'll help keep my mind off of things, anyhow . . ." She spoke in what she hoped was a cheery voice as she moved to join them. They smiled comfortingly at her and Tessa returned it as they moved to the first cluster of cars. She found that she got along much better with Lori than she did Carol, most probably because, in some sick, twisted way, she thought that Lori knew what she was going through. The same way Rick had so shockingly come back in their lives was almost the same as the way Tessa and Ethan had come into Daryl's. At first there was adjustments – there would always be hardships, and she figured that Lori at least knew some semblance of where she was coming from – Rick certainly did. She supposed Carol did too, but part of Tessa's distancing process away from Carol partially stemmed from the idea that the older woman had an ever-so-slight crush on Daryl. Tessa didn't suppose it was anything major and she knew that Daryl would _never_ consider hurting her in such a way, but still . . .

And of course Tessa was cordial to Carol whenever any interaction between them was mandatory, however, as far as a friendship existing between them like there existed between her and Lori . . . Tessa doubted it would ever happen.

"Look at this, guys! This guy must have ransacked the local med aisle of Wal-Mart before he left! Ibuprofen, Advil, various meds for allergy relief – every type of first aid supply you could think of!" Lori shook her head in abject disbelief. "I mean, yeah, it doesn't have any of the harder stuff like major painkillers and antibiotics, but it's something, right?" Tessa nodded as she dumped a bag out onto a nearby truck tailgate and started shifting through it. Stuffed animals, various clothing,and odds and ends . . . like the rest of the cars here it seemed people were more interested in grabbing photo albums instead of survivalist gear. The cache Lori found came few and far between.

"Uh . . . Carol . . .?"

Tessa looked up at Lori's slightly bemused voice, only to see Carol bashfully put down the red shirt that she had been holding up against her. "Ed, he never . . . he never let me wear such nice things . . ." She spoke, a tad awkwardly, and Tessa smiled gently as she moved over to her.

"Well, Carol, it's not like anyone's gonna be using it anytime soon, so I don't think anyone will care if you take it! We're gonna need more clothes, and besides . . ." She nodded as she picked up the shirt and held up to Carol, her smile becoming slightly more conspiratorial. "Red is definitely your color!" Blush crept up across the older woman's cheeks again and she glanced at Tessa before glancing down at the red shirt and taking ahold of it. She nodded in thanks, a nod that Tessa readily reciprocated.

"Carl, stay in my line of sight at all times, understand?" Lori's firm voice was directed towards her son and Tessa glanced behind her at the two children as Carol nodded towards Sophia as well.

"You too, Sophia . . ."

Both children nodded, Sophia hugging her doll to her chest as they wandered off a little ways but still not long enough to not be in sight of their mothers. "It must be hard . . ." Carol spoke, her voice the same small and quiet tone it always was and it took Tessa a moment to realize that she was directing her words to her and not Lori.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, with Ethan out of your sight, it must be hard . . . you must worry for him terribly!" She elaborated and even Lori shot Tessa an interested look before returning to what she was doing. Tessa let out a light laugh and shrugged her shoulders then.

"I admit, it is . . . a little daunting at first, not constantly have your child in your line of sight, but . . ." She shrugged again. "At least Daryl's with him, you know? I feel like I don't have to worry too much when he's with Daryl." Carol and Lori nodded in agreement and it was there that they left that conversation, the three of them falling into a slightly awkward silence. Once before, Jacqui would have been with them, searching through stuff to find valuables but now she wasn't there and they missed her presence greatly.

And it was then that they heard it . . . the low shuffling of feet – the quiet groans that rose in a buzzing crescendo as they grew nearer. Their heads shot up like deer spotting a predator and their blood ran cold when they saw the great mass of a walker horde shambling towards them. "Guys – get under the cars!" They heard Rick hiss to them as he made a quick path to them and they wasted no time in dropping to their stomachs and inching underneath the closest cars. Carol and Lori found themselves underneath one and Carl underneath another while Tessa and Sophia were underneath cars closer to each other than the others was. Rick was also near to them as well but closer to Carl.

They had to force themselves to be absolutely silent as walker after walker shuffled by them, hands clasped over their mouths and noses to stifle their heavy, almost panicked breathing. Lori had to wrap a hand around Carol's mouth to keep her from crying out in fear and their eyes were pinned on their children underneath their retrospective cars. Tessa found her heart pounding away in her chest as well. Where had Daryl and Ethan been when they spotted this horde? Did they get a head's up enough to prepare themselves?

Deep down inside, Tessa knew Ethan would be perfectly fine with Daryl and his expert knowledge of everything having to do with the walkers, however, her heart still found itself pounding a frantic tattoo in her chest nonetheless.

"Sophia, stay hidden!" Lori hissed to her and the little girl nodded frantically as she turned and shot a warning look to her son, one that Rick mirrored. Carl nodded and pulled himself into a tight little ball underneath the car as Sophia turned a frightened gaze onto Tessa. She smiled a strained smile in reply. Their cars were closely enmeshed enough to where she could safely reach out her hand to Sophia, a hand that the little girl readily took.

"It'll be okay, sweetie, I promise!" She whispered to her and Sophia replied with a weak but frightened smile as she squeezed Tessa's hand.

And for a while, it looked like it would be fine. The bulk of the walker horde slowly but surely inched by them until only stragglers were left behind. Tessa looked around her and when she no more feet shuffling past them, turned a questioning gaze onto Lori and Carol. Lori shrugged weakly and Tessa didn't notice at first Sophia inching her way from underneath the car until she started screaming, her hand letting go of Tessa's. Immediately, her eyes shot onto the little girl, only for them to widen in horror as a walker dropped to its stomach and felt around blindly underneath the car for her before giving up and crawling under it after her. She saw Lori's hand clamp over Carol's mouth again to muffle her sobs and screams and for that, Tessa was thankful. They didn't need any more walkers descending onto them like locusts. One was more than enough to deal with.

"Sophia – Sophia hold on, honey – I'm coming!" Tessa urged her as, unheeding of her own safety, she started army-crawling her way under the cars towards her. She came to an abrupt stop when she felt something clammy latch onto her ankle and a rank, cold breath hitting her calf. She had just enough time to turn around and let out a strangled scream before a walker lowered his gaping mouth to the sensitive flesh of her calf . . .

* * *

"What about through there – that space in-between the Chevy and the Prius?"

"Maybe it would work if we moved the truck outta the way and made sure the car sittin' beside it wouldn' be a problem too. However, judging by how congested the road is, I'd say that would be a long-shot!" After staying silent for a moment, Ethan found himself nodding in agreement at Daryl's words as they continued slowly on their way, peering inside the various vehicles on the road as they did so. Ethan heard his father curse under his breath. "Damn . . . I thought for sure that we had a path through here too!" Ethan shrugged as he peered cautiously into a nearby truck where a rotting body sat in the driver's seat.

"It might be difficult, but we'll just have to move some cars out of the way. After that's done, we should be -"

"Hush up fer a minute!"

Daryl's voice when he interrupted Ethan was immediately on edge, like a dog whose hackles were standing on end after sensing danger, and he found his fingers curling tighter around his crossbow. Ethan fell silent, his body immediately tensing as well. "What is it?" He hissed, and Daryl shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion as he waved for him to stay quiet for a while longer. Then, after a moment, his teeth gritted and he cursed under his breath again.

"Shit – Ethan, _get under the car_!"

Ethan hardly had time to prepare himself before he felt the breath being knocked from his lungs as Daryl shoved him none-too-kindly to the asphalt and push him underneath a nearby truck before rolling under another across from him. Ethan's eyes widened and he had to physically cover his mouth to keep from screaming as a slew of walkers lumbered past their position. He saw Daryl frantically shake his head and silently shush him by putting a finger to his lips. Ethan nodded and closed his eyes, desperately holding back the screams that bubbled up in his throat. Where were the others? Where was his _mother_? Was she okay – was she _safe_? The horde had come from that direction - there was no way they could have walked past without the others noticing them!

Or the other way around . . .

The walkers must have lumbered past fairly quickly, for not long after Daryl shoved him underneath the car, he felt anxious hands grasping his shirt and pulling him from underneath the car. The hands frantically patted him over to make sure he was okay before grasping his shoulders and shaking him gently. "Ethan . . .? Ethan - Lord's sake boy - _talk _ta me!" Ethan's eyes immediately snapped open when he heard Daryl's voice, his eyes immediately connecting with his father's slightly worried ones. The look of fear in Ethan's eyes was evident. "Are ya alright?" Daryl asked him, his voice calmer but no less shaky, and Ethan nodded again before swallowing heavily.

"Yeah, I'm okay . . ." He finally spoke and Daryl let out a relieved breath as he pulled his son into his arms, hugging him close for a moment.

"For a moment I thought we were dead . . . that ya wouldn' have been able to stay quiet! Ya did good though . . . ya did good . . .!" Ethan took a moment to calm himself before hastily pushing himself away from Daryl. He shook his head, his heart sinking.

"_Momma_, deddy - what about her? Is she alright? The walkers _came_ from the direction of the Winnebago - didn't you see?"

By the look of stark fear that flickered across Daryl's eyes at his words, Ethan could tell the thought had just occurred to him, and he nodded as he grasped him by the back of his shirt and pulled him quickly forward. "Ya right – we gotta go check on the others – make sure ya momma's alright!"

They made their way back to the Winnebago in what they hoped was record time, rescuing T-Dog from a small group of stray walkers by shoving themselves under dead walker bodies until they had past, along the way. They were just shoving the walkers off of then when they heard the strangled scream – the strangled scream that sounded uncannily like it belonged to Tessa.

And then, before Ethan could react, he felt Daryl shove his crossbow into his hands before taking off at a sprint towards the source of the scream, his knife yanked free from its scabbard as he did so.

* * *

Tessa couldn't help but scream as the walker latched onto her ankle with a steel-like grip, his rotted mouth gaping and rancid as he fought to get her under control enough to sink his teeth into her flesh.

"Sophia!"

"Oh sweet God – _Tessa -_!"

While Carol was worried about her daughter, who had crawled out from underneath the car, only to sprint off into the woods with two walkers on her heels as well as Rick running after her, Lori had pinned a wide-eyed, frightened stare onto Tessa across the way from them. She screamed for help as Tessa's teeth gritted in concentration as she fought to get the walker off of her long enough to scramble away further underneath the cars or even in another, more open direction. However his grip was ruthless and he was stronger than he looked for a decaying body.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" Tessa hissed as she felt herself being dragged backwards by the walker, her strength leaving her when she realized that every inch she gained trying to get away from him, was useless as he could easily gain that inch back. His hot breath was growing uncomfortably close to her calf and she found herself praying to God for her death to quick and painless as tears filled her eyes. She didn't want Daryl to have to put a bullet through her head . . . she didn't want to have to put him through that so soon after getting her back.

"Oh the _fuck _ya are, ya steamin' piece of _shit_!"

She heard a soft 'fwump' and then the grip around her ankle slackened considerably enough for her to finally kick the walker off of her. She was safe – she knew she was safe and her entire body relaxed into limp exhaustion as her chest started heaving for the breath it no longer had to conserve. Her brush with death was just the thing to let the floodgates inside her finally break and as she felt gentle hands pull her out from underneath the car, she allowed the sobs to rip forth from her chest. As Daryl's worried face came into view as he pulled her into a tight, protective embrace, tears streamed from her eyes and carved red streaks down her cheeks.

"Ya okay, Tessa? Did he bite ya at all?" He asked, his voice bordering on almost obsessive worry as he gently broke away from her and checked her over, spending longer on her legs than anywhere else. He felt her hands ball into fists at his shoulders and shake him, trying to get his attention, however, he ignored her as he ran his eyes over curve and dip of her body. Her movements became more frantic and when he was sufficiently happy that he found in no shape or form anything that could suggest a bite or a scratch, relief washed clearly over his face and eyes as he finally turned his attention onto her. Fresher tears were appearing in her eyes, however, and another look of worry appeared on his face. "Tessa, what more could _possibly _be wrong?"

Tessa shook her head. "Sophia ran off . . . into the woods . . ." She shook her head. "Walker found her underneath the car and she panicked and ran off . . . I tried to get to her and that was when the walker grabbed me . . ." Still fresher tears appeared in her eyes and took the place of the old ones as they proceeded to streak down her cheeks. She shook her head again. "If the walker hadn't grabbed me – if I had been _quicker _– maybe Sophia wouldn't be alone – maybe I could have helped her!"

Daryl shook his head in disbelief. "Tessa, baby, there was nothing -!"

He was interrupted by Ethan shouting out a relieved, 'Momma!' before running full tilt towards her. Tears starting to dry up, she readily received him in her arms as they hugged, her eyes closing in relief as Lori and the others jogged up to her. "Is she alright?" Lori asked in clear concern, and Daryl silently nodded as Lori's look of concern was replaced with one of relief. In fact, everyone seemed to adopt a look of relief as they grouped around them. They had already had to leave Jim and had lost Jacqui as well as countless in the attack at the quarry. They didn't want to have to kill another one of their own. Lucky for them Daryl had come along when he did.

Tessa looked up from her son's embrace and her eyes fell onto Carol standing a few feet behind Lori. Her eyes adopted a pleading look as she gently pushed away Ethan. "Carol, please – I'm so sorry -!"

Carol shaking her head before walking angrily away, interrupted Tessa mid-sentence and she felt Daryl's hand spread gently out on her lower back. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying some more as he pulled her into another loving embrace. "Shush, Tessa, there was nothing you could have done!" He murmured and Lori nodded.

"He's right, Tessa! A walker grabbed you – what _could_ you have done?"

"I could have been quicker. I could have been aware of my surroundings," She shook her head self-defeatingly as she roughly pushed herself out of Daryl's arms and turned around to march off. "I could have done _so _many things!"


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't know about you guys, but I always envisioned Dale as being the almost 'Socrates' of the group - the one guy who was always the voice of reason that no one ever listened to. I tried to make him that way in this chapter and I hope I did him justice LOL.  
**

**By the way, thank you again mysterious 'Guest' for your awesome review and I promise you that almost everything you put in your review, I plan on doing already. If I knew who you were, then I'd give you a shout-out, but since I don't, then I suppose 'Guest' will just have to do. Thank you too Zaii, for your awesome reviews as well :)  
**

**PS - All you Carol-haters and those of you who were absolutely hating Tessa's guiltiness, will love the ending, I think ;)**

* * *

Tessa had been angrily searching through another car when Dale made a casual way over to her. She heard someone approach her and when she glanced back to see who it was, she turned back in indifference when she saw it was him and not someone else. "I don't want any company right now, Dale, I'm sorry!" She told him tersely and he nodded as he finally joined her.

"I imagine you don't. Survivor's guilt is one _Hell_ of a thing to live with!" Tessa glanced at him.

"You think what I feel is survivor's guilt?" She asked in slight disbelief, and Dale shrugged.

"What else would it be? You had that little girl inches within your grasp, yet a force that you could not foresee and in no way could have avoided, kept you from her! I'd call what you're feeling right now after that, survivor's guilt!" Tessa mournfully shook her head.

"I could have done so much more -!"

"Could you really?" Dale interrupted her curiously and she turned a slightly confused gaze onto him. "You say that now, Tessa, but looking back, do you really think you could have? What would you have done once you reached her? And more importantly, _how _would you have saved her from the walker once you did – as weaponless and defenseless as you were?" She stopped in her sorting and for once, she didn't have an answer. Dale, as always, was right. What _would _she have done? Could she _really _have made that much of a difference in the end, had the walker not grabbed her? Or was the walker grabbing her, the one thing that saved both of them from a surefire death?

Dale took advantage of Tessa's warring thoughts to continue: "I'll admit that Daryl coming along when he did was a Godsend!" A look of relief appeared in his eyes and on his face at the mention of Daryl saving her. "Hell, whenever he shows up to save _anyone_, I consider that a Godsend! You might not have gotten that if that walker hadn't grabbed you!" Tessa glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly in an emotion that he couldn't really place.

"Are you saying that, that walker grabbing me was a . . . a _good _thing?" He gave a half-shrug.

"I think I am. In a roundabout, fucked up way, that walker saved you from surely being bitten or worse! And by grabbing you, it allowed Sophia to make a break for the woods with Rick on her heels. It afforded the both of you a chance at life that you might not have gotten otherwise! And Hell, the walker hanging halfway underneath the truck on your leg was probably the sight Daryl needed to know where you were!" Tessa shrugged as she resumed her sorting.

"Carol doesn't think that . . ."

"Carol is in mourning for a daughter that she doesn't know is alive or dead and she has no right to take that out on you - or anybody for that matter, but especially not you! It was not your job to protect that little girl – it was Carol, as her mother, that should have been! Only your maternal instincts made you do it in the first place!" He shook his head. "In fact, you would probably be doing the same thing if it was Ethan missing!" He told her, and Tessa laughed and sniffed.

"That's where your wrong, Dale. Ethan . . . Ethan would have done exactly what Daryl would have done. He'd know where his best landmark would be and then he'd track his way back to the highway accordingly. If he couldn't, then he return to the landmark until rescue came," She shook her head. "Sophia is not like my son – she's _nothing_ like my son, Dale! Sophia is still . . . very much a child – I suppose that's what made me want to help her in the first place! It's the thought of her alone in those woods with the knowledge that there was_ something_ that I could have done to help her . . ." She turned her eyes onto Dale then. "It's _that _knowledge that makes me hate myself!"

"That's still no excuse to hate yourself over something that you had no control over!" He told her, his hand moving gently to her shoulder and his voice becoming slightly more impassioned than it had. "Just like that is no excuse to feel sorry for Sophia because she did not have the good fortune to be Daryl's daughter and be trained with the same skills that him and Ethan are fortunate to have! However, there is still the slim chance that we can find her and that _alone_, should give you the hope you need to banish those guilty feelings away! Like I said, there was nothing you could have done – why hate yourself for that?" Tessa stood there and thought about his words for a moment before she smiled and nodded.

"Your right . . . I shouldn't feel guilty. I'm not Sophia's mother - it was not my job to protect her!" She gave a half-shrug and pinned Dale with a soft look. "Thank you Dale . . . for always being the Socrates of the group!" Dale chuckled as he gently grasped her shoulder.

"I would hardly think myself wise enough to be a Greek thinker, but yes, I do try to be the voice of reason when this group so desperately needs one!" He gestured back in the direction of the Winnebago then. "Come join us again, Tessa. Rick's back . . . he's gonna explain to us what happened." She turned and alarmed look onto him.

"She's not with him?" She asked, stricken, and Dale shook his head.

"No, she's not, but I'm sure Rick can explain to us what happened and I'm sure that he already has a plan formulated about how to go about finding her!" He told her and she nodded in reply as she allowed Dale to escort her back to the group. Everyone smiled small smiles when they saw her and she returned them with a slightly brighter one of her own as she moved to stand in-between Ethan and Daryl. Daryl's arm immediately wrapped around her waist and she allowed him to pull her into his side as Rick sighed and told them what had happened in the woods. He told them that he had found Sophia and that he had carried her a good while but had to leave her in an creek underneath a overhang of roots in order to get rid of the two walkers that had been chasing them. When he returned to the spot of the creek where he left her in order to retrieve her, he found that she was gone, with no trace of her to be seen anywhere in the near vicinity.

"We have to go find her!" Rick told them, his eyes pleading and when they settled onto the shaking Carol, they became mournful. She replied with a stony expression and Daryl nodded in agreement. His nod was followed by everyone else and he glanced down at Tessa. After a moment of her eyes scanning his face and knowing before he could speak what he would suggest, she swallowed hard and returned the nod. She might not hate herself anymore for Sophia but that didn't mean she still couldn't worry about Daryl and Ethan going off into the woods in pursuit of her. God only knew how many walkers could have shuffled into the woods when they moved past them.

Daryl pulled her closer to him as he spoke: "I agree and since ya need a tracker, I suppose I have no choice but to go with ya. Let me take ma son with us, though. He's a good tracker too – we could surely use another pair of eyes!" He gave a flippant shrug then. "Ya know, to catch anythin' I don't happen to pick up." Rick nodded thankfully and Daryl nodded over Tessa's head to Ethan, who nodded back after receiving a smile and a rub on the back from his mother.

"I'll go too," Shane spoke up and Glenn nodded and smiled what he hoped was a joking smile as he gently fist-bumped Ethan on the shoulder. The smile came out shaky and nervous, however, he didn't know why. He would be with the best shots in the group, so it wasn't like anything would happen to them!

"And so will I – ya know . . . to keep you company while your old man does all of the work!" Ethan grinned in response and Daryl rolled his eyes. Carol looked up them all with clear thankfulness on her face. She didn't have to say anything to them - they all nodded in reply to her look. Rick then told them that they would leave out in five, once he had a drink of water and rested for a minute, and for them to take the time to get everything that they would need. Tessa turned Daryl to face her and immediately met his eyes as Ethan turned to talk to Glenn.

"I don't reckon I have to tell you guys to be careful, do I?" She asked him, and he let out a scoffing laugh.

"Darlin', after the fiasco of this afternoon, don't ya think it's _I _who should be tellin' _ya _to be careful?" Tessa nodded in reluctant agreement at his words, and Daryl pursed his lips then as he moved closer to her. His hand curved around her hip and he held her close for a moment, where he pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. She let out a sigh of contentment, her hands fisting in the sides of his shirt as he buried his nose in her hair. "I almost _lost_ ya, Tess! When I first saw that walker halfway hangin' out from underneath that car with ya ankle grasped in his hand, I literally felt ma blood run cold!" He told her, his voice quiet. "I came so close to losin' ya and I . . . I don' know what I would have done if I pulled ya out and ya had a bite mark on ya leg!" They broke apart slightly, just enough for him to peer down into her eyes. "Do ya think I want to leave ya after thinkin' our lives together had just come to that end? Fuck no! I want to practically become ya living shadow until we reach Fort Benning!" She let out a laugh then, one that he shared. "But I know ya, and if I even _remotely_ suggested becomin' the typical overprotective boyfriend, ya'd ditch me as sure as anything!" He meant it as a joke, but Tessa ended up shaking her head.

"I wouldn't ditch you, Daryl – I'd never ditch you again. However, we _would_ have to share words!" She replied with a grin and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards ever-so-slightly.

"I take it ya have been talked some sense into?" He asked, and she chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, by Dale. He made me realize that it wasn't my fault for what happened to Sophia," She glanced at Carol then, who was leaning up against the Winnebago with a slightly dejected look on her face. "He made me realize that I _shouldn't _feel guilty about something that was out of my control!" He nodded then, an appreciative look in his eye.

"Thank God for Dale! For a minute, I thought I'd have to contend with a depressed girl again!" He teased lightly but when she shot a warning look up at him, he quickly backtracked. He should have known better than to pull the depression card, even in jest, because it was quite clearly still a very sore subject with her.

Way back when, about a month before she left him, Tessa had become depressed to a point to where Daryl had been afraid to leave her alone for any extended period of time, especially around his place. Whenever she was around his place, was when she would develop anxiety issues of unexplained origin. He never figured out why she was depressed, only that he was one hundred percent sure that her leaving him had something to do with the ever-elusive reason.

"I'm sorry - I shouldn't have pulled that . . .!" He murmured and she shook her head.

"No, you don't have to be, Daryl – it's all in the past and it's all water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned! I'm here now - _with_ you - and despite everything, I'm happy!" She shrugged, a small smile appearing on her face then. "It's best just to forget that time, okay?" Daryl nodded in agreement and her smiled grew slightly more comforting as they hugged again. However, Tessa couldn't help but feel a twinge inside her. It wasn't a twinge of guilt towards Sophia, because she was confident that she had squashed those feelings with Dale - no . . . it was guilt towards something else - something that she couldn't exactly put her finger on . . . something that had been brought about when Daryl mentioned her depression . . .

And it was then that she knew, with absolutely certainty, that, that guilt – whatever it was – would be a source of much confusion and unease within her as days went by without her realizing what exactly it was.

Rick returned moments later with Shane in tow and gestured for them to join them. Daryl planted a soft kiss on her forehead before him, Ethan and Glenn moved to join them. Her arms crossed in front of her chest as she watched them go, her heart starting to weigh heavily in her chest. She found herself hoping that it didn't stem from . . . from _that_ . . .

She hoped it didn't stem from what happened with Merle because . . .

Tessa took a deep, shuddering breath then. She found herself hoping and praying to _God_ that it wasn't what happened with Merle because she didn't think she'd have the strength to face that again if it was.

* * *

"Are ya sure it was here?'

"Yeah, I left her _right there_!"

Rick's eyes grew more panicked and exhausted as him and Daryl sloshed through the shit colored water of the creek, Daryl moving to peer underneath the overhang of roots as Rick craned his neck to peer in another direction. Shane, Glenn and Ethan stood up on the bank above them and when Ethan and Daryl's eyes connected, Daryl gave a weak little shrug. Every good tracker knew that as soon as whatever you were tracking hit water, the trail was all but gone. Not even bloodhounds could keep the scent past water.

Rick pointed off. "I drew the walkers way off in that direction up the creek." He told them and Daryl shrugged.

"I don' know what to tell ya, Rick . . . can't track through water!" He sighed as he turned around and headed back to the bank. Rick shrugged as he followed him.

"I figured she just took off and ran back to the group!" He pointed up the bank where Glenn and Ethan were standing. "I told her to go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder!" Daryl moved over that way, a slight scowl finding a home on his face as he gestured to Glenn.

"Hey, Short Round, why don' you step off to the side? Ya'll muckin' up all the evidence!" He told him and Glenn shot him a look as he did as he was told, but Ethan was already on it. Bending down and observing the ground for a minute, he nodded and glanced up at Daryl, where he gestured him over.

"That is if she knows her left from her right!" Shane spoke, a tad condescending in its intended jokiness and Rick shot him a dirty look.

"Shane, she understood just fine!"

"Look, the kid is tired and scared, man!" Shane replied. "She had her a close call with two walkers! Gotta wonder how much of what you said, stuck, ya know?"

"Hey, my kid found somethin'!" Daryl spoke up, interrupting their conversation, and both men turned surprised gazes onto Daryl and Ethan bent down, observing the earth by the bank.

"Got clear prints right here . . ." Ethan added, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration and Daryl nodded as he got to his feet and looked at Rick.

"Chances are, she did like ya said and headed back to the highway." Ethan got to his feet at his father's words as well and the look of pride he shot him was hardly unmissed by anyone. "Our best bet is to spread out and make our way back."

"She couldn't have gone far!" Rick added, his heart lifting at Daryl's words as Shane helped the two men back up the bank.

Daryl leading the group like a bloodhound with Ethan not that far behind him to catch whatever he might miss, they slunk through the brush of the forest, Daryl's eyes glued to the leafy forest ground. When he stopped and got down on one knee, everyone could tell by the slightly confused look on his face that the trail was quickly growing cold. "She was doin' just fine 'till right here," He spoke and Ethan nodded in agreement as everyone crowded around them. "All she had to do was keep goin' . . ." He trailed off as he looked away and it was then that Ethan pointed off in a direction directly to their right, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as well.

"Looks like she veered off that way . . . can't see why though – she was on a straight shot to the highway!" Shane shrugged.

"Maybe she saw something that spooked her – something that made her run off?"

"She spotted a walker, maybe?" Glenn suggested and Daryl shook his head.

"I don' see any other footprints to be a walker and by the way they walk, it'd be pretty damn obvious! There's just hers."

"So what do we do?" Shane asked. "Do all of us press on?" Rick shook his head.

"No, it'd be better if you and Glenn get back up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking if we're gone too long and at least you two can tell 'em what's going on. Let them know we're on her trail doing everything we can to find her. But most of all, keep everyone calm!" Daryl nodded in agreement.

"And me, Rick and Ethan will stay on the trail. Between me and my kid, the trail will have a hard time goin' cold!" Rick nodded in thanks as Shane nodded as well.

"I'll keep 'em busy scavenging cars, although I think Tessa alone might have half of them covered already!" He chuckled and everyone noticed the slight tensing of Daryl's jaw at his mention of Tessa, a mention that Shane was thankfully smart enough to leave at that. "I'll think up a few other chores and . . . I'll just keep 'em occupied." He nodded to Glenn and Glenn nodded back before giving Ethan a slight smile and hurrying after Shane. Daryl watched Shane go for a minute before finally getting to his feet and moving off in the direction that Sophia had gone, Ethan and Rick hot on his heels.

* * *

The one thing Ethan would never be able to banish from his head – for as long as he would live - would be witnessing his father wrist deep in walker guts.

They had stumbled upon a lone walker shuffling along in the forest not long after they entered it and after some pretty smooth double-teaming, a well-placed bolt from Daryl's crossbow made sure the walker was on the ground and that he was staying dead.

Rick had been the one who brought up the fact that the walker had eaten recently and it was the look of slight apprehensiveness that Daryl shared with his son that gave them the ultimatum to rip the thing open and find out for themselves what the son-of-a-bitch had eaten.

Blood, gore and a half-eaten hedgehog later, they were all intensely relieved when they found out that it had been a hedgehog the walker had eaten, not Sophia.

But nothing like that compared to when they finally made it back to the Winnebago just as the sun was starting to set on the horizon.

Glenn had been the one to shout out that they were back and almost immediately as they came up upon the steel guardrail, people were flocking around them, including an intensely relieved Tessa. She refrained herself from hugging a disgusting, blood congealed Daryl but Ethan, who was completely spotless aside from the odd dirt patch on his shirt and jeans, was afforded no such respite from his mother's embraces. "Oh thank God your back!" She whispered in relief and Daryl gave a small smile as he moved to join them. She shot him a soft, loving look. "I'm so glad your back too!" She told him and Daryl nodded in understanding as Carol moved quickly up to Rick.

"You didn't find her?" She asked them, her look one of a completely defeated woman and Rick shot her a sympathetic look.

"Our trail went cold – we'll pick it up again at first light."

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own – to spend the night alone in the woods!" She told him, her voice hinting that he should be ashamed for even considering the idea, and Daryl sighed and shook his head. His voice was gentle when he talked to her but his body language hinted that he was still a little irked that much of her ire was going more towards Rick and Tessa more than actually herself.

"Bein' out in the dark is no good!" He told her. "We'd jus' be trippin' over ourselves; more people'd get lost . . ." Carl shook her head and turned a pleading look onto him.

"But she's twelve! She can't be out there on her own! You sure you didn't find anything?" Rick pursed his lips and sighed.

"Carol, I know this is hard, but I'm asking you not to panic! We know she was out there -!"

"We tracked her for a good long while!" Ethan couldn't help but interrupt Rick and the look that Carol shot him immediately made Tessa tense and Daryl's hand to immediately splay out on the small of her back warningly. It was an accusing look – a look that screamed that he had no room to talk because he still had his mother and his father. Thankfully, though, Rick quickly picked up where Ethan had left off and Tessa felt herself calm slightly.

"We have to make this an organized effort! Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this alongside Ethan. They're good trackers – if anybody can find her, it'll be them two!" He assured her and Carol threw him another angrily accusing look.

"How could you have just left her out there to begin with?" She all but snapped at him and the look Rick adopted on his face was almost akin to a kid who was getting scolded because his mother walked into the kitchen to find him with his hand in the cookie jar. "How could you just leave her?"

"Those two walkers were on us," He told her, fighting to keep his voice under control the entire time and tears built up in her eyes as he spoke – as he tried to explain himself. "I _had _to draw them off – it was her best chance!"

"It sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol . . ." Tessa couldn't help but speak and immediately at the sound of her voice, Carol turned a fiery gaze onto Tessa, one that had the younger woman recoiling in shock.

"And you! You could have reached her – you could have saved her! Why didn't you?"

"Carol, she was grabbed by a walker at the last minute -!" Lori told her but Carol shook her head defiantly, interrupting Lori mid-sentence.

"How would you like if your son was in Sophia's place, huh?" She demanded before she laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, wait, of course – how could I have forgotten? Your son is a little miniature Daryl – he can _hunt _and _track_ – he's not nearly as helpless as my Sophia is and even though they're the same age!" Tessa's eyes widened and her gaze darted to Dale across the way, whose eyes widened in shock as well. Neither had known that Carol had overheard their conversation and Carol nodded as she got to her feet from her place sitting on the guardrail beside Lori, where she moved over to stand before her. Her face was still angry as she pinned Tessa with a glare of daggers.

"Yeah, that's right – I heard your conversation with Dale earlier before the guys left – you should really learn to keep your voices down! And please, do me a favor, won't you? Before you even _consider_ comparing our two children again, please remember that _your_ son was the one who grew up without his father thanks to _you -_!"

"You _fucking_ bitch -!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa - calm down Tess!" Daryl spoke quickly as he jumped over the guardrail to wrap his arms around her waist just as Tessa made a move towards Carol, her eyes lighting up with fury. Everyone else immediately tensed in shock but when it was clear that Daryl had a good enough grip on Tessa to where no one else would be needed to separate the two women, they relaxed. Carol immediately stepped back, the anger gone from her face, only be replaced with one of shock and slight fear, almost as if it hadn't been her that got angry and then got up in Tessa's face, but another person that looked just like her.

"Let me tell you something, _Carol_!" Tessa hissed, her eyes still beyond angry as she struggled slightly in Daryl's grip. "It was not my _job _to watch after _your _daughter! And who the fuck knows – that walker could have been the one thing that saved us, considering I was completely weaponless and defenseless when _your _daughter decided to be stupid enough to get out from underneath the car before Rick or Shane or anyone else had given us the all clear!" She shook her head, her eyes flashing even more in the quickly growing gloom, and Daryl's grip on her tightened just in case. "And do _me _a favor, by the way! The next time you decide to get up in my face about _my _son not growing up with Daryl, please keep in mind that _you do not fucking know me_! You have no idea what I was going through during that time – you have _no_ idea what it was like with Merle – so please, for the love of God, why don't you get over yourself and _shove it_!"

Teeth gritting in anger, Tessa then threw herself out of Daryl's arms before marching off again. Everyone's eyes remained wide with shock at what had so recently come to head between the meek Carol and the normally calm, cool and collected Tessa who made a point of trying to get along well with everyone. Even Daryl's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline in shock at the whole thing. He had forgotten that Tessa had a temper almost as bad as him and Merle's. The only thing was that Tessa's was a little bit harder to trigger. Carol seemed to do just fine when it came to that, though.

"H-how is she going to find her way back on her own?" Carol finally asked, tears filling her eyes again. "She's just a child . . . _she's just a child_!" Tessa turned around and gave an elaborate shrug of her shoulders, her anger rolling off her in waves.

"Beats the fuck out of me! But I can tell ya somethin'!" She snarled as she took a few steps back, Daryl quickly moving into position in case Tessa decided to run and lunge at her again, her finger pointed unwaveringly at her. "You ain't getting my son's help any longer in searching for her! You lost that privilege when you insinuated that he was nothing more but a damn bastard while _your _daughter supposedly had the most stable childhood on the face of the planet!" She shot her a look of disgust. "At least Daryl's never raised his hand to me!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Damn, this was another hard chapter for me to write and it was probably because I couldn't decide for the longest time if I wanted to make this chapter the so-called 'starter chapter' of the real reason behind Tessa leaving Daryl, or not. I didn't know if I wanted to start to lead up to it now or if I wanted to wait a few chapters but eventually, I settled on starting it now. So, aside from that, there are some other interesting points going on this chapter that I don't think you'll wanna miss, although, like the last one I had a hard time writing, I'm not exactly happy with this one. I might go back in and edit it sometime if I'm bored, but again, like the last one, I doubt it :)**

**By the way, there is a teeny, tinsy little lemon in this chapter too that - again - took me FOREVER to get just right. I think it came out pretty good, but ah well, you guys are the judges lol.**

**Thanks for reading this latest installment and please - leave a very nice review when your done! :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

That next afternoon, as they all filed into the woods for Day Two of their search for the missing Sophia, Dale, T-Dog and Ethan was left behind at the Winnebago. The day was tense to say the least – at least between Carol and Tessa. Tessa, keeping true to her word, made Ethan stay behind with Dale and T-Dog, much to his chagrin, especially when he saw that Glenn and Carl were going – especially Glenn, of whom he had struck up somewhat of a best friend relationship with over the past few days. Daryl didn't argue with her and neither did anyone else. They knew better than to mess with Tessa after the previous night of her going off on Carol.

Daryl especially, after the little incident they had, had the previous night too.

It had first started when Tessa had been gone longer than what made Daryl feel comfortable and he went to go find her – to make sure that she was okay. Dressed in fresh clothes and clean of the walker guts that had covered him from his surprise walker disemboweling earlier that day, he found her sitting and still steaming on the lowered tailgate of some Ram truck not far from the protective sight of the Winnebago but on the fringes of what the group had deemed 'questionably safe'.

"Hey . . ."

His quiet greeting reached her but she didn't reply – she didn't even react. She simply stared straight ahead, eyes unwavering in their anger and her arms still crossed in front of her chest. He heaved a sigh as he moved over to her and the truck, where he hopped up onto the tailgate beside her. "Ya've been gone for a while . . . everyone's startin' to wonder 'bout ya. Lori wanted to know if ya wanted any dinner too . . ." He spoke, his voice still quiet and finally she gave a huff and shook her head.

"I don't and does it look like I care?" She asked him, her voice hard and terse. "I don't want to see _her_ right now - Hell, I don't want to see _anyone _right now!" Daryl's mouth twitched upwards in a smile.

"Well, ya seein' me right now, ain't ya!" He reminded her and her mouth twitched upwards in a smile as well as she glanced at him.

"Yeah, but your different, Daryl!" She told him, her voice quieting and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh really - how exactly am I so different?" He asked as a grin appeared on his face, and Tessa shrugged as she unconsciously bit down on her lower lip.

"You can take my troubles away . . . you can make me forget things in ways that other people can't . . ." She spoke and his grin faded down into a lazy smile as he leaned back on his hands on the truck bed. One of his hands moved to rub her lower back and he almost missed the shiver of desire that ran up her spine at his words.

_Almost_.

"Ya want me to help ya forget . . .?" He couldn't help but ask her and in the darkness punctuated only by the moon and the stars hanging up in the sky, he could see her thick ebony curls shift against her back as she turned her head to gaze at him. They hung down to the point where the ends almost touched the truck bed and his fingertips played with the ends as he waited for her answer. He couldn't see her eyes but he could just imagine how beautiful they would look twinkling in the moonlight like they were surely doing now if only they had enough light. He then gave a shrug. "I mean, I won' be able to help ya forget for forever, but . . . I can at least help ya 'till mornin' . . ."

He could feel Tessa's eyes on him as she observed him for a moment. Then, quite suddenly, she leaned over and pressed her lips to his. He wasted no time in returning her kiss and his arms wrapped around her waist, taking her with him as he fell back against the bed of the truck, their kiss loving and deep. Her fingers moved to tangle in his hair as his hands moved over her body through her clothes - cupping her curves and everywhere he could reach as he tore his lips away from hers and attached them to the nape of her neck instead.

Her fingers fisted in his hair and her nails dug into his scalp as he bit and suckled at the sensitive flesh of her neck, determined to mark her as his. He was hard through his jeans against her stomach and she let out a low moan as they quickly but clumsily pulled and yanked the clothes from each other's bodies, their movements growing more and more urgent the longer it took. And as their need to be touching hot, burning flesh to hot, burning flesh intensified the quicker they shed their clothing, she moved to straddle his hips and he didn't stop her - Hell, he wouldn't _dream _of stopping her at that point!

When they were finally fully naked, their clothes lying in a rumpled heap beside them on the truck bed, his lips met hers and she sat up slightly as he lifted her up and brought her gently back down on him. The both of them let out soft sounds of pleasure as he found himself sheathed inside her – her warm heat quickly enveloping him and making him temporarily lose his breath as his eyes darkened in desire. His hands slid up to grip her hips in a tight grip, and Tessa gave them only a moment to adjust to the sudden headiness before she lifted up her hips and lowered them down again. He caught her rhythm smoothly, thrusting up whenever she slid down.

Soon, she was panting his name and it was then that his fingers slipped down from her hip to tease her, his callused thumb pressing into her bud harshly every time she rolled her hips downwards. Her own hands slid up her body to cup her breasts and he groaned darkly as he watched her roll her wine-colored nipples between her nimble fingers.

He snapped his hips up again and her breath hitched as he hit that sweet spot deep inside her. A few more thrusts like that and Tessa was trembling above him, keening his name as her body tightened around his. Grunting, he tugged her down until he was buried to the hilt in her hot flesh before he released inside her, Tessa convulsing above him.

She sighed contentedly above him when she collapsed on top of him, Daryl heaving a sigh as well as his eyes closed tiredly. His fingers trailed a tickling warm trail up and down her spine and through her hair, and Tessa smiled. "That . . . was _just_ what I needed, Daryl!" She purred, feeling lazy and satiated and he grinned when she stretched like a cat alongside him, her curvaceous body lengthening deliciously against his frame.

"Glad I could be of help for once!" He remarked as his eyes ran along her body and she grinned at the sight.

"Naw, you didn't want to be helpful when you came over here - you just wanted to get laid!"

She could practically see the grin that still split his face at her words. "Yeah, maybe I did . . ." He playfully admitted and they lay there for a moment, drowsing before Tessa broke it.

"Do you think I was a little harsh with Carol earlier . . .?" She asked, her voice quiet and small, and Daryl scoffed as he shook his head.

"Naw, I don' think ya was. Of course, she deserved it, if ya ask me! Bitch should have known to leave our son alone when tryin' to go up against ya! Lucky I was so damn tired or she would have gotten my anger as well!" His voice was bitter and slightly angry when he spoke, however, he smiled as she leaned on one elbow above him. "Your one regular momma bear, ya know that?" She smiled back as she leaned down and planted a loving, light kiss on his lips, a kiss he returned. "But believe it or not, that's what I love 'bout ya!" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Blame it on my own shitty mother, but I love ya protectiveness around Ethan – how every second of ya life is dedicated to keepin' him safe. Carol didn' have that when Sophia ran off. Now, if that little girl had been Ethan, ya would have been out from underneath that car and runnin' full tilt into the woods after him! Ya would have done anythin' to make sure he survived – even if ya yaself didn'!" He smiled then as he moved a lock of her ebony hair out of her eyes. "But then again . . . I also love how, despite all of that, at the end of the day, ya all mine!" He glanced up in playful secretiveness then, making sure no one was listening in on them before gazing down at her. "I don' know 'bout ya, but I don' think Carol would have been ridin' my ass with as much reckless abandon as ya were just doin'!" Tessa couldn't help but laugh at that, a laughter that he readily joined in with. She settled her head back on his chest and they lay there, dozing for a while.

_ "Naw man, let her rest . . . she's been a good little mare for one day! I'm impressed, too - didn' think ma brother would have been able to train her right! She's a good little ride!" _

Tessa couldn't help but close her eyes and suck in a harsh breath as the haunting words appeared, completely uninvited and completely random in her head. She flinched violently at the images that accompanied the words and immediately shot off of Daryl, her arms moving to cross in front of her chest as she did so, her eyes squeezing closed until they hurt. The air around them had suddenly seem to grow cold - much colder than it had been seconds before.

Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion and worry as he sat up as well, his arms immediately wrapping around her in a protective embrace. He was shocked to find her trembling like a leaf and while she wasn't on the verge of sobbing, he could tell she was clearly disturbed.

"Tessa, what the Hell was that?" He asked, and she shook her head.

"It was nothing Daryl . . ."

"The _Hell_ it wasn'! For the love of God, ya jumped up like ya ass was on fire, Tess!"

_"Tessa, meet ma friend Dennis; Dennis, meet ma little brother's little squaw . . ." _

Tessa flinched violently again as she jumped out of Daryl's arms and off of the tailgate. She reached for her clothes and quickly started pulling them on, trying everything in the book to keep the echoing voice from her head and her thoughts as she did so. She started thinking about every good thing that had ever happened to her in her life, which normally helped. Receiving that much longed-for pony on her fifth birthday; winning the spelling bee at ten after she had studied so hard – much harder than any normal child would have; meeting Daryl for the first time – their first time in the barn . . .

The barn . . .

She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to focus. The barn was no use – the barn was never any use . . . the barn would only make it worse. So she thought about more recent – more vivid – memories in the hope that they would be strong enough to extinguish the one currently plaguing her mind. Being reunited with Daryl after thirteen long years of not seeing him; when they made love for the first time since being reunited with each other; the sex in the shower – the sex they just had . . .

Daryl watched the entire process with a slightly wary eye. What had she thought about that made her act like this? Normally, she was so calm, cool and collected – always keeping her own vigil - always keeping her thoughts close to her chest. Was it her outburst at Carol and the rest of the stresses of the earlier day that had caused some things to become unhinged?

"Tessa . . .?" He murmured as he hopped down from the tailgate and started pulling on his clothes as well. She shook her head and held up a finger, telling him to wait for just a moment longer as she continued to think as many happy thoughts as she could. She had almost beaten the Memory back, she just . . . _one more_ . . .!

When she was done and confident that the Memory was safely crouching on the fringes of her mind, away from where it could do any real harm, Tessa opened her eyes and took in Daryl's wary face. He was dressed now and when he saw the exhaustion in her eyes, he knew it hadn't been from their lovemaking. It had been from beating back that Memory.

"Tessa . . . what the Hell was all that?" He asked, not really knowing if he wanted to know the answer. She stood there for a moment, tiredly searching for the right words to say and when she did, she heaved a sigh, her eyes suddenly appearing twice as old as she actually was.

"That, Daryl, was the source of my depression."

* * *

They came upon the tent not long after first entering the forest. Daryl saw it first, like he saw everything of import first in the woods and after Shane remarked about how Sophia _could _be hiding out in there, he nodded in agreement.

"There could be a whole bunch of things in there . . ." He replied back, his voice quiet as he slowly led the group, single file line, towards the tent. Rick gestured for everyone to stay behind as him, Shane and Daryl made the short trek. Daryl signaled for the other two men to wait as he hunched down and inched his way towards it, unsheathing his knife as he did so. After attempting to peer into the tent from the outside and finding that there was no possible way to do that except by actually zipping it open, he gave a weak shrug to the others and it was then that Rick gestured for Carol to come forward. Her fingers twisted nervously at the strap of her bag and Tessa crossed her arms in front of her chest and rolled her eyes. Oh so _now _she was playing the part of protective parent!

Daryl's look of firm rebuke that he shot her held her tongue back and her lips pursed in response as she looked away. That was the last thing they needed – Tessa or Carol lashing out against each other again and starting a squabble that any walker in a one hundred mile radius could hear like last time! Daryl continued to gaze at her, however, his eyes running up and down her frame as Rick told Carol to call out Sophia's name – that if she was in there, it should be her voice that she heard first – as her mother. He hadn't forgotten what happened the previous night, after they had made love on the back on the truck bed. In truth, the entire thing had kept him up all night as she slept soundlessly tucked in against his side, her head pillowed on his arm. He couldn't help but wonder what she meant by the source of her depression and quite frankly . . . he didn't think he wanted to know.

What the _Hell _happened to her back then to cause that kind of response in her now?

He had been around animals all his life – he raised them, he hunted them – he _tracked _them! And that flinching and subsequent trembling, was not because she was cold or anything along those lines – they were the primal reactions of fear – her reaction to something she never wanted to think about again!

Daryl shook his head as he braced himself by the front of the tent entrance as Carol readied herself to call out her daughter's name, forcing the poisoning thoughts from his head as he did so. There would be time to think about those later, hopefully in a future conversation with Tessa – a _two-way _conversation with Tessa!

"Sophia . . . sweetie . . ." Her voice was soft and gentle when she spoke and all of Daryl's senses attuned to the tent. If there was anything in there alive, he would know the split second it made a movement, no matter how small. "Are you in there? Sophia, its mommy!" Her voice got more tearful and desperate. "Sophia, baby, we're all here! Its mommy!"

They waited for a while and when there was no answer, from inside the tent itself or from the surrounding foliage, Daryl finally moved to unzip the tent entrance, Rick and Shane moving to hover protectively over him.

The smell inside was rank – one of the worst smells Daryl had ever smelled. It was the sickly sweet smell of death and he covered his nose and mouth with the back of his hand as he stepped gingerly inside, his eyes pinned on the still body sitting slumped in a chair facing away from them. He doubted it was Sophia – it was too big to be Sophia – but there was no risk in knowing, right?

He left the tent as fast as he could after he had made sure that it was, indeed, not Sophia, and shot Carol a shake of his head. He had taken the pistol in the walker's hand and Lori settled a gentle hand on Carol's arm at his words. "What's in there?" Andrea asked and Daryl shrugged.

"Just some guy," He picked up his crossbow from where he had placed it on the leafy forest floor. "Did what Jenner said. He opted out. Ain't that what he called it?"

Everyone fell silent as he approached Tessa then, taking out his knife as he did so. Back turning towards everyone so they could have some relative privacy, he held the knife out to her, handle first. Her eyes grew wide as she glanced down at the dangerously sharp blade before turning her eyes back up onto him. "What are you doing?" She asked quickly, and Daryl shook his head.

"Since ya were so adamant about Ethan not comin' out here with us, ya have no protection since I can' track and be keepin' my eyes constantly on ya at the same time. Now, I remember that ya couldn't shoot the broad side of a barn with scattershot, but I also remember ya not bein' so bad with blades and a bow. Since there's no way in Hell that I'm givin' ya my crossbow, take my knife instead and give me some damn peace of mind, will ya?" His voice was slightly terse when he addressed her and her lips pursed in response as she took it none-too-kindly from him.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked and he sighed.

"Nothin. I'm jus' irked that I have to give ya my favorite knife because ya gotta hold a grudge! That and I'm still reelin' from last night!" His eyes flashed with an emotion that she couldn't rightly place. "And not exactly in the way I would like to be reelin' too!" Her eyes became slightly sad then as she placed a hand on his chest.

"Daryl, you know that I would never -!"

The slightly faint sound of church bells that split the calm forest air around them at that moment – the slightly faint sound of church bells that interrupted Tessa mid-sentence and practically made everyone jump out of their skins upon hearing it. For a split second, Tessa's hand tightened in his shirt before releasing with relief. They turned to glance at Rick, to see his reaction, only to see him point in the direction they were coming from before taking off. They had no choice but to follow him, Daryl grabbing ahold of Tessa's hand and pulling her after him.

The church they found themselves facing moments later, was the quintessential deep Southern church. Small, white and looking like it had been taken out of a history book of Puritan times and placed in rural Georgia, it was surrounded by a small graveyard and miles and miles of forest.

It had no steeple though.

Shane immediately echoed the statement as they filed out of the woods and into the meadow. "That can't be it. It's got no steeple – no bells!" Rick shook his head and took off after it anyways, Shane gritting his teeth and calling out his name as they had no choice but to follow him. Pretty soon, they were all taking off at a run for the church and when they stepped inside, they immediately found themselves facing three walkers, two males and a female, all dressed like typical backwoods farmers. Lori handed Rick an ax and Tessa quickly handed Daryl an ax that Andrea had pressed into her hands in turn – Daryl shoving his crossbow in her hands as he quickly assessed the weight and sharpness of the ax. It wasn't soon after that, that Rick, Shane and Daryl had quickly dispatched the walkers in sprays of congealed blood and relatively noiselessly.

Tessa, meanwhile, had been slowly making her way up the red carpeted aisle to the rather grotesque image of Christ on the cross hanging behind the pulpit and it was to her that Daryl walked to first. The rest of the group followed slowly behind her as Rick immediately begin to yell Sophia's name and kick open doorways in order to see if she was there - if she had been the one ringing the bells. Tessa's hands fluttered over his arms as she turned her gaze onto him. "You okay?" She couldn't help but ask him and even though she knew good and well that he was. It was starting to become a reflexive question with him and Ethan, one that she found she had little to no control over. He nodded as he turned to face her. His hand slid behind her neck and he brought her up on her toes a little bit so that he could press a loving kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What 'bout ya?" His keen eyes noticed the hesitancy in her stance as she gazed up at the idol of Christ on the cross hanging before them and she nodded, although reluctantly. Her fingers were at the pendant hanging around her neck again.

"I'm fine, it's just . . ." She shook her head. "I haven't been in a church in a long time – since my grandmother died, in fact. I just . . ." She shrugged. "It feels weird, is all. It's like I don't belong here . . ." Daryl gave a flippant shrug then as he rubbed her lower back soothingly.

"Well, they were Baptists and ya are Cherokee!" He turned to gaze up at the idol for a moment, silent as well before he eventually nodded towards it. "Yo, JC . . . ya takin' any requests?" They turned around then, Tessa rather reluctantly with Daryl's hand pressing into her lower back, and they returned to the group, where Shane and Rick looked like they were having, yet again, another battle for dominance.

"I'm telling you, it's the wrong church! It's got no steeple, Rick! No steeple means no bells!"

The bell started ringing then, as if by Shane saying the magical words suddenly made them appear, and the speed with which Daryl and Rick sprinted from the church, momentarily made everyone's heads spin as they gave chase behind them. They ran around the side and what they saw, while no bell hanging in a steeple was indeed a bell. It was an automated one that Glenn was already turning off as Rick's face became stony.

"Timer . . . it's on a damn timer!" Daryl remarked, out-of-breath and while everyone there felt keenly like there was an individual egg on each of their faces, Carol remarked, very airily and a tad faintly:

"I think I'm gonna go back in for a bit . . ."

And slowly but surely, everyone followed her.

Tessa and Daryl lingered behind, however, as Andrea moved to sit down against the church wall beside the bell, and as they moved to stand on the steps of the church, Tessa's arms moved to cross in front of her chest. Daryl approached her and she turned her gaze onto him. "What's up?" He asked her in concern as he traded her the ax for his crossbow, and she shook her head.

"I just . . . it's silly, I know, but I don't want to be in there. I don't feel welcome in there and I _don't _want to be in there with _her_!" She told him and she didn't need to elaborate on to who she was referring to. He knew she meant Carol.

He sighed and gingerly – tiredly - rubbed the back of his neck. "_Tess, _I'm on ya side, ya know I'm on ya side!" He told her and her eyes flashed as he continued: "But . . . I think ya need to try and make ya peace with her. Everyone is gonna be actin' like they walkin' on eggshells around ya two until one or both of ya do!"

She glared at him icily although he could tell in her eyes that she knew he was right. Eventually, she sighed in surrender and shook her head as she averted her eyes to the cement steps under their feet. "I don't . . . I don't know how to do that . . ." She reluctantly admitted and Daryl let out a dry laugh.

"And ya think I do? When have ya ever known me to say sorry to someone?" He asked and she laughed and shrugged in agreement. She turned her eyes up to him and she immediately noticed the exhaustion in his face and his eyes . . . her heart twisted.

"I wish . . . I wish last night could have made you feel _better _instead of giving you more worries!" She confessed quietly as they moved closer and as his hands moved to cradle her waist, hers moved to clench at the back of his arms. "I swear . . . I swear to _God_, Daryl that, that was not my intention!" He shook his head as he placed his forehead against hers.

"Don' worry 'bout me none, babe. I didn' sleep last night for a lot of reasons, not just ya, although it was a pretty big reason!" He gave a weak smile then. "Although I do wish it helped, too . . . it was pretty fuckin' amazing otherwise!" She grinned and laughed before shaking her head.

"You know I would never lie to you, Daryl!" He nodded.

"I know it . . .!" He spoke quietly, slowly and she continued:

"It's just . . . remembering that is hard and . . ." She shrugged. "It affected more than just me and I _want _to tell you, it's just . . . I haven't figured out how to go about it just yet!" The answer didn't exactly make him feel better but it did make him feel better knowing that she wasn't intentionally keeping it from him.

With a gentle smile, he took her hand and gently pulled her towards the scarlet red doors of the church. "Come on now, let's go on inside. It's hot out here and if Godless me can go in there, then ya can too!" She laughed as she allowed him to pull her inside and when they entered, she found Lori and Carol sitting in the front pew, the closest they could get to the figure of Christ hanging behind the pulpit. Tessa glanced back at Daryl who nodded towards them before pushing her gently forward. She stumbled ungracefully a little before making her mechanical, clearly uncomfortable way over to them.

"Father, forgive me . . ." She heard Carol speak out as she neared them and her heart immediately skipped a beat. Here she was, praying. Tessa had never been a prayer – she had never been really religious to begin with! In fact, everything religious had a bad habit of making her skin crawl and feel overall very uncomfortable! Not-to-mention being around Merle and Daryl since she was sixteen didn't help matters either when it came to religious matters! Hell, they were backwoods Atheists!

"I don't deserve your mercy!" She continued as Tessa rigidly moved past her to take a seat in-between her and Lori. Lori smiled a small smile at her and adopted a look of slight curiosity on her face but didn't say anything. "I prayed for safe passage from Atlanta and You provided. I prayed for Ed to be punished, for layin' his hands on me and . . ." She hesitated here. "And for lookin' at his own daughter, with whatever sickness was growing in his soul. . . ."

Tessa flinched at that and even Lori froze a little, although they still stayed quiet as she continued: "I prayed You'd put a stop to it – to give me a chance to raise her right and help her not make my mistakes. She's so fearful. She's so young in her way. She hasn't had a chance!" She gazed up at the idol for a moment, her voice lowering substantially. "Praying for Ed's death was a sin. Please, don't let this be my punishment! Let her be safe – alive and safe! Please Lord – punish me however You want, but show mercy on her!"

She trailed off then and glanced behind her almost in embarrassment over how many people had heard such a secret conversation. Tessa glanced behind her as well and her eyes connected with Daryl's. He made a subtle nod and after pursing her lips slightly, Tessa leaned forward and took Carol's hand. The older woman immediately turned a look of shock on her and Tessa smiled what she hoped was a comforting smile, as did everyone else in the church. Tessa swallowed hard.

"I . . . I won't claim to be religious but . . . if there is a God, then I don't like to think that he would simply take away a woman's child – especially when she is as grieving for her as you are," She shook her head. "I had no idea about Ed, Carol. What he did – what he _wanted _to do, is unforgivable. There's no reason for God to punish you for wishing death onto someone like him!"

Carol's eyes steadily filled with tears at Tessa's words and when she was done, she nodded and took both of her hands in hers. "Thank you . . . _so much _Tessa!" She whispered before shaking her head. "And I . . . I am _so sorry_! I should never have cast judgment on you so quickly – I was so angry and I was so hurt! Please, can you ever forgive me?" Tessa smiled a small smile and nodded.

"Of course. Everyone deserves a second chance," She told her and Carol immediately broke out into a grateful smile as she hugged her, Tessa slowly hugging her back as again, the voices and cruel laughter threatened to enter the forefront of her thoughts again.

Well . . . _almost _everybody deserved a second chance . . .


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I realize that this chapter is going to be a really, really touchy chapter because of its content matter - but I wrote it with the intention of it being touchy. It does finally shed some light on what happened to Tessa and its not nice, just warning you guys now. There is rape and it IS Merle, so be prepared for some foul language too. However, this isn't all that's happened to her, I hate to say it. This is only the tip of the iceberg and the rest will be revealed in later chapters although nothing as bad as this. I promise that there IS a method to my madness - ya guys just gotta keep reading! :)**

**The way I do chapters like these, though, is if you don't like reading the subject matter of rape, you can always skip down to the part that is not in italics and read from there. Its not mandatory for the plot to read the fine details, it just fleshes out what happened. Either way, read it or don't but please, enjoy it the best you can and leave a review :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

_In hindsight, the trick had actually been pretty amazingly planned – for someone of Merle's intelligence, anyway._

_The note left for her on the kitchen countertop in the house telling her to go meet him in the barn, looked at first glance to be in Daryl's hand but on closer inspection, was actually markedly different. It was less slanted and slightly smaller – in hindsight, she didn't understand how she could have mistaken it for Daryl's. She blamed it on her being blissfully in love – on finally be able to call Daryl her fiancé – her future husband. for just the previous day he had gotten down on one knee and proposed to her with a beautifully simple diamond ring that made her heart ache whenever she looked at it. Continuing to look back, Daryl's crossbow and rifle were also absent from their places beside the back door and so was everything else he used when he went hunting._

_She couldn't believe that she had been that stupid - that she _could _have been that stupid!_

_And when she ran, giddily, into the barn to meet him, the small diamond engagement ring on her ring finger sparkling in the bright Southern sunlight, Guns N' Roses' _Nightrain _was playing on the radio. Daryl _never_ listened to Guns N' Roses unless he was drunk. He couldn't stand them otherwise (a quirk that she secretly despised for she loved the band - always had). _

_And instead of Daryl moving out from around the giant haybale in the center like he always did before following her up the ladder to the hayloft, that same conspiratorial grin on his face that he always had when they secretly agreed to meet in the barn, Merle strutted out instead - one of his good-for-nothing druggie friends strutting out behind him._

_He was high – Tessa could see it in his eyes and smell it on him. He was high off of cheap, homemade meth and was probably also drunk on illegal moonshine. And whenever Merle Dixon was high and drunk at the same time, he was also dangerous. _

Very _dangerous._

_His eyebrows furrowed in interest and slight confusion. "What are doin' in here?" He asked and she opened her mouth to speak but found that no words would come to her lips. She pointed weakly back to the house and wanted to say that Daryl had left her a note but him grinning and laughing stopped her. "Ah, ya don' have to say nothin', girl – we left ya that note! Daryl's been out huntin' since mornin'!" He told her and her heart gave a little jump as he gestured to the man moving to stand beside him. "Tessa, meet ma friend Dennis - Dennis, meet ma little brother's little squaw . . ." _

_While Dennis did indeed say 'hi' per Merle's command, Tessa simply gritted her teeth, her arms moving to cross in front of her chest as she did so. The movement caused Merle's eyes to flicker briefly down to her breasts before meeting her eyes again and she couldn't help but swallow hard at the sight. Merle had always been a pervert, she had resigned herself to that fact the day she met him. However, what she couldn't understand was why his normal tendencies were putting her on guard then?_

_"What the Hell do you want, Merle?" _

_Merle's face remained expressionless as he made an almost predatory way over to her, Tessa feeling her heart hammer away in her chest as he did so. His eyes as they burned into her seemed to burn into her very soul and she thought, briefly, about screaming for Daryl but thought better of it, as it would have been largely useless. Instead, when he neared her, she allowed him to yank out the clip holding her hair up, allowing her great wealth of ebony curls to spill down her back in a thick waterfall. He fisted his hand in her hair by the roots and roughly bent back her head. Tessa flinched but didn't let out a sound, simply continued to hold the elder Dixon's gaze. _

_"Why does ma little brother get such a pretty little squaw, huh Tessa? Why does little Darlina get what I can't have?"_

_"Merle, I swear to God I'll -!"_

_"Ya'll do what?" Merle laughed. "Ya'll scream for Daryl?" He shook his head. "Well tough biz, squaw – he's out huntin' and won' be back 'till midnight at the least - which, if ya do the math, gives _us_ plenty of time to play!"_

_Tessa let out a shriek of protest and alarm as she was then dragged roughly over to a nearby stack of haybales that Dennis had already popped a squat on top of, where bent her roughly over it. She found her breasts and stomach squashed uncomfortably against the prickly hay and her breathing began to tear hard and fast from her chest. Merle's hand was still clenched uncomfortably in her hair as Dennis reached for her arms and pinned them on either side of her head on the haybale. It was then that she realized what was going to happen to her and her heart immediately set up an infinitely harder beat as tears appeared in her eyes._

_ She heard Merle chuckling as the tinkling of metal filled her ears – signaling that he was undoing his belt buckle and pretty soon, his jeans as well. Dennis's wheezy laughter also filled her ears. The only thing her eyes seemed to be able to settle on, was that tiny little diamond engagement ring wrapped around her ring finger . . . Daryl's ring . . ._

_She felt her own jeans being undone and then slid down her legs alongside her panties until she was standing there, bent over the stack of haybales at the waist, uncomfortably and humiliatingly bared to her fiancé's brother, as well as Merle's friend. She closed her eyes, willing the tears that brimmed to stay behind her eyes. He might do whatever he wanted to her, but he wouldn't get her tears during the act. She'd rather die the _slowest_ death in the entire world, than show Merle Dixon her tears._

_She did struggle against the tight grip that Dennis was holding on her arms, however, even when she felt Merle behind her, his hands taking a firm, almost bruising hold on her hips. She felt him bend down over her, his lips meeting her ear and she wrinkled her nose in disgust at his breath – a mixture of cigar smoke, moonshine and meth._

_"Hush, pretty girl, hush – everythin's gon' be alright – I promise!" He whispered in her ear before grinning cruelly, relishing in the way her body quivered underneath him like a taut bowstring or a frightened mare. "An' don' take it personally either! Me and Daryl – we've always shared everythin' since we were kids, Tessa – toys, guns, game . . ." One of his hands skimmed along her taut stomach at that moment – relishing in the way her muscles jumped and spasmed underneath his fingertips, and Tessa wanted to recoil violently from his touch but couldn't. Dennis's grip on her was just too tight. "And suddenly, he pops up one day with just the _prettiest_ little damn squaw on his arm and refuses to share with his big brother?" He shook his head. "It just . . . don' make no sense that he should keep such a deliciously fuckable little squaw like ya all to himself, don' ya think? It ain't right and it's rather selfish, if ya want my opinion!" Tessa's teeth gritted and her jaw hardened in anger and slight frustration. The force of tears building up behind her eyes was becoming painful, however, she still refused to show him any tears._

_"Merle, I'm begging you -!"_

_Merle interrupted her by tsking. "I imagine this is rather . . . _sudden _for ya, so in case ya find it a bit too hard to bear, just imagine I'm Daryl, Tessa . . . bendin' ya over that nearest flat surface ya have been surely fantasizin' about all day, and it will all be over soon, I promise!"_

_And it was. _

_She didn't know what humiliated her more when Merle finally finished and they allowed her to roll off onto the straw covered floor of the barn. She curled in on herself, sobs tearing forth from her lungs in painful gasps. She didn't know what humiliated and sickened her more - that she taken Merle's advice and pretended that it was Daryl who had bent her over the stack of haybales - whose hands grasped at her waist as he rutted into her – that she came around Merle's cock like a little fucking whore . . . or that she had been so willing to use her fiancé's image to save her own sanity during an event that no woman on the face of the planet ever wanted to go through._

_"Aw, come on man, I don't get a go?" She heard Dennis whine as he hopped down from the haybales, and Merle chuckled as he stood, tucking himself back into his jeans. He zipped, buttoned and belted his jeans as he did so before he patted one of her shapely thighs. Finally, quietly sobbing and shutting down, her knees gave away underneath her and she collapsed to the dirty floor, Merle's come flowing so grotesquely from her body._

_ "Naw man, let her rest . . . she's been a good little mare for one day!" He laughed then. "I'm impressed, too - didn' think ma brother would have been able to train her right! She's a good little ride!" His laugh turned down into a chuckle as he grasped her chin in his fingers and forced her to look at him. She let out a sob and tried to yank her head away but it didn't work. Merle _was_ stronger than her, after all, and only thought it funny when she still tried to resist him. "But _dayum_, man, now that I look at her . . . I wish I would have blew ma load on her face – just to see what ma white spunk would have looked like on that beautiful caramel colored skin of hers! Hell, if he's anythin' like me, then I can garun-damn-tee ya that Daryl's done it before!" Tessa flinched violently at the visual as Merle knelt down beside her, his voice entering a sickly sweet coo. "So what about it, sweetheart – we're all dying to know now that I've said somethin'! Have ya ever allowed ma baby brother to blow his load on ya face before -?"_

_"_Fuck you_ Merle Dixon!" She snapped angrily through her tears, interrupting him, and Dennis let out an amused whistle as Merle laughed._

_"Seems she's a fiery one too, Dennis! Baby brother must like his women to talk back to him!" She shook her head._

_"Just leave me alone, Merle! Haven't you ruined my life enough for one day?" Merle tsked again as he shook his head. He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. _

_"Oh, pretty girl . . . I'm not even close to bein' finished with ya! After all . . ." He turned an expressionless gaze up to the man standing before them and almost returned his grin. "Dennis hasn't even gotten his ride!" _

_By the time they finally were done, _Sweet Child of Mine _by Guns N' Roses was playing. _

_And from that day on, she became like Daryl in the fact that she could no longer stand to listen to Guns N' Roses._

* * *

The dream had been plaguing her all day. It had continued to create that same sick feeling in her stomach and the overwhelming urge to sob that she always got when she remembered the look in Merle's eyes when he said those last, excruciatingly painful words to her. It continued to fuck with her head, despite them getting the horrible news that Carl had been shot – news that rocked Ethan to his core – and the fact that they _still _hadn't found Sophia.

She wanted to pray and hope that Carl would be alright – that Sophia continued to be alright, but . . . she was in such a dark place at that moment . . . a dark place created and furnished by Merle and a dark place that she didn't even think Daryl had the power to free her from.

And then she couldn't help but wonder if she should tell him . . . if she should tell him _everything_ – not just the rape but everything that the rape had created afterwards. She knew that she should but . . . she just didn't know how he would take the news and that alone held her back. Merle was his _brother _and everyone knew how infamously loyal Daryl was to his older brother.

How _scarily _loyal to him he was, to her.

"You need to tell him . . ."

Tessa's eyes fell onto Dale sitting beside her on top of the Winnebago later that night as they kept watch – as Carol cried in the Winnebago below them – as Daryl and Ethan tried to sleep and as Andrea kept cleaning and loading the guns. He smiled a small smile as he sighed and shifted the rifle from one hand to the other. "Whatever it is that is plaguing you – you have to tell him, Tess." She shook her head.

"I don't know how, Dale, let alone if I even can!"

"Is it that bad?"

Tessa's lips pursed and she felt her eyes grow wet with tears as she glanced at him. "It's the worst! I don't . . ." She swallowed heavily and gave a weak, almost defeated shrug. "I don't know if this will make me lose him – if-if when I tell him, he could only gaze at me with loathing and disgust instead of . . ." The words 'love' and 'adoration' fell dead on her lips before she could say them, but Dale nodded sagely, immediately understanding without her having to actually speak them. Unlike Andrea, who – in her opinion, anyway – was acting like a spoiled little girl who had, had her favorite toy taken away because she was acting selfish – Tessa valued Dale's opinion. He had talked her out of her funk the other day with Carol and although she would be skirting around the issue, she would still ask for his opinion on what she should do. She closed her eyes and swallowed the hard lump forming in her throat. "I don't want to hurt him, Dale and this . . . this would _cripple _him!"

"I think you underestimate his love for you, Tess," Dale eventually spoke, his voice slow as he thought about how exactly he wanted to go about saying this. "He thinks the _world_ of you – I don't think there is much of anything that you could tell him that would cause him to act as adversely as you thin he would!" Tessa shook her head.

"You don't know him like I do Dale. You don't know his anger, his-his . . . his _insecurities _and oh God, there are _so many_! I know he likes to project this-this ideal that he's this unconquerable mountain to everyone around him but . . ." She shook her head again, her heart taking up a hard, steady beat in her chest as she rambled on – anything to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks. "But inside, he . . . he has all these insecurities from his childhood – all these _fears _that it took forever for me to banish! I-I know I need to tell him because he deserves to know – that in order for me to step out of whatever Hell I'm in right now, that I _need_ to tell him! I just . . . I just _can't_!" Dale opened his mouth to speak then but he was interrupted by the door to the Winnebago opening and Daryl and Andrea walking out to stand before them.

"I'm gonna go for a walk; maybe shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, give her somethin' to look at . . ." He trailed off and his eyes when he flickered them onto Tessa beseeched her to come with him.

"Do you think that's a good idea right now?" Dale asked and as Andrea snappishly told him stop, Tessa sighed and stood.

"I'll go with them . . . do me some good to stretch my legs, anyway!" She spoke and Dale nodded and glanced at her as Daryl moved over to the Winnebago to help her down the ladder. She smiled at him and took the flashlight he handed her as they returned to Andrea.

"Ya still got my knife?" He asked and Tessa nodded as they continued their trek down the road towards their usual entrance into the forest, Tessa finding herself walking in the middle between Daryl and Andrea.

"Where's Ethan?" She asked, and Daryl chuckled.

"He was actually the only one out of all of us that could sleep. I imagine he's still in there, sleepin' like a damn baby!" Tessa laughed as well as they moved over the guardrail and into the woods.

"Do you really think we'll find Sophia?" Andrea asked as they found themselves on a road leading through the forest. Her voice was slightly glum when she spoke and Daryl glanced at her as he shined the light on her face briefly before scoffing.

"Ya got that look on ya face, same as everybody else," He spoke, Tessa deciding to stay quiet and out of it. She felt herself move unconsciously closer to Daryl, though, as they walked, almost as if clinging to him as long as she could before he would surely and angrily break things off with her when she finally grew the balls to tell him everything. He noticed and glanced down at her briefly before moving closer to her. He couldn't put an arm around her with his hands full with both a flashlight and his crossbow, but their arms could brush with every movement and by the look on her face, he knew that suited her just fine. "What the Hell is wrong with ya people? We just started lookin'!" Andrea turned and curious gaze onto him. She saw the way Tessa moved beside him and couldn't help but feel a flicker of concern for her. Everyone knew of Tessa's mindset right now – how fragile yet strangely, how totally strong she seemed and found herself wondering what was going on with her.

"Well do you?" She asked and he scoffed and glanced at her again.

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet – it's fuckin' _Georgia_!" He replied, slightly scathingly. "She could be holed up in some farmhouse somewhere! People get lost and they survive - it happens all the time."

"She's only twelve!" Andrea told him in a tone that suggested he should grow some empathy and the look that Daryl pinned her with could have frozen ice.

"Hell I was younger than her and I got lost. I spent nine days in the woods eatin' berries and wipin' my ass with poison oak!" He began and Tessa grinned and shook her head.

"Oh God, haven't I already heard this story a million times before!" She spoke and Daryl grinned down at her before Andrea turned a curious gaze onto him as she shrugged,

"They found you . . .?" Daryl shook his head.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress – ma was long dead. Merle was doin' another stint in juvie . . ." He shrugged then. "They didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back, though! In fact, I went straight into the kitchen and made myself a damn sandwich! No worse for wear!"

"Except your ass itched something awful, right?" Tessa teased him and Andrea immediately let out a snorting laugh as Daryl pinned her with a teasing look.

"Ya _have_ heard this story a million times, haven't ya? _Damn _Tess!" He asked her with a chuckle and she nodded and continued laughing as Daryl glanced at the chuckling Andrea who immediately raised a hand in surrender.

"I'm sorry – I really am – that is a _terrible_ story!" She couldn't help but laugh and when she crossed eyes with Tessa, they really couldn't stop laughing. They laughed until their sides hurt and it took them a while to stop. When they finally did, though, Tessa realized that Daryl had taken the time it took for them to calm down, to switch spots with her. He was in the middle this time and he immediately wrapped the arm whose hand was holding the flashlight, around her waist and brought her in close to his side. She immediately latched onto him, not caring if he was sweaty and didn't smell all that fresh. She wanted to get in as much of him as she could before she shattered his world into a million pieces.

"The way I see it, though," Daryl continued when him and Tessa could walk without tripping over each other's feet. "The only difference is that Sophia's got people lookin' for her. From my experience, I'd call that a distinct advantage!"

They froze then when they heard the gargled, guttural calls of a walker and Daryl's eyes immediately furrowed in confusion as he looked around, Tessa releasing him as he did so. The rustling of tree branches could be heard, as well as the creaking swing of a . . . rope?

"Daryl what is it?" Tessa asked, and Daryl shook his head as he cautiously led the way to the sound, his crossbow held aloft and ready. When they reached what appeared to be an abandoned campsite moments later, the stunned look of shock on Daryl's face was immediately mimicked by both Tessa and Andrea as they tried to wrap their minds around what they were looking at.

"What in the _Hell_ . . .?"

Hanging before them, swinging from a noose tied to a tree branch and with his legs chewed off underneath the knee, swung a walker. All their flashlights found themselves pinned on it and from underneath the beams, it started thrashing even more, its gurgling sounds coming more prevalently as it tried futility to get to them. Andrea covered her nose and mouth as Tessa simply grimaced and Daryl took a fascinated step towards it. There appeared to be something nailed to the tree it was hanging from and he had to squint to read it.

"Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit; might as well quit," He scoffed as he stepped back to observe him. "Dumbass knew enough to rhyme his shit but didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head? All he did was turn himself into a big swingin' piece of bait! And a _mess_, too . . ."

Andrea immediately let out a groan as she doubled at the waist to keep herself from vomiting, and Tessa flitted quickly to her side, her hand running soothingly up and down her back as Daryl turned around. "Ya all right?" Tessa nodded and glanced at him as Andrea spoke:

"Just . . . trying not to puke over here . . ."

"Go ahead if ya gotta." He spoke as he glanced behind him again and Tessa shot him a mean look as Andrea shook her head.

"No, I'm fine, let's just . . . talk about something else for a moment, okay? How did ya learn to shoot?" Daryl shrugged as he continued gazing at the walker hanging in front of him and immediately when he spoke, Tessa knew this new conversation was not going to end without Andrea tossing her cookies.

"Had to eat, didn' I? That's one thing these walkers and us have in common. I guess we're the closest he's been to food since he turned. Look at him, Tess – hangin' up there like a big piñata!" He shone the flashlight on the walker's legs then, the flesh eaten all the way to the bone and immediately Tessa let out a groan of disbelief.

"Daryl, don't -!"

"The other geeks must have come and ate all the flesh off his legs -!" He continued, ignoring Tessa and immediately after he began, Andrea vomited, Tessa grimacing and looking away. She had a pretty strong stomach but if she saw someone else puke, oftentimes she ended up puking as well, which was the last thing she wanted at that moment. Daryl looked back in amazement and both Tessa and Andrea shot him mean looks.

"I thought we were changing the subject!" Andrea spoke with a groan and Daryl grinned.

"Call that payback for laughin' about ma itchy ass!" He told her before he glanced at Tessa. "Ya okay, babe?" She nodded, determined not to look at Andrea's vomit pooling on the forest floor and he nodded as he moved over to them, ready to leave the area. Andrea stopped him, however.

"Aren't ya gonna . . .?" She asked, pointing her flashlight beam at him as she did so, and Daryl shook his head and shrugged.

"Nah - he ain't hurtin' anybody. Ain't gonna waste an arrow either. He made his choice – he opted out. Let the fucker hang." He moved to go again and Tessa shot her a slightly sympathetic look before moving to follow him. Andrea stepped forward towards the walker, however, and Daryl and Tessa had no choice but to stop and wait for her.. Eventually, Daryl sighed and walked back towards her. "Ya wanna live now or not?" He asked, and Andrea turned around to face him. He shrugged. "It's just a question." She glanced back at the walker before turning her gaze back onto him.

"An answer for an arrow - is that fair?" Daryl nodded.

"Yup."

Andrea waited for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she finally spoke. "I don't know if I want to live or if I have to or it's just a habit." She told him and he shot her a slightly disappointed look as he hefted his crossbow up and pointed it at the walker's head.

"That's not much of an answer," He told her. "And it's also a waste of a perfectly good arrow!" He turned around when he was done and headed back to the forest path then, Tessa and Andrea hot on his heels. They reached the highway not soon after and began the short trek down in-between the rows and rows of cars to the Winnebago. They saw Carol get up and make a hasty retreat to the inside confines of the vehicle, but neither one of them reacted. They didn't know how. Hell, at that moment, Tessa was the last person who knew what the Hell 'emotions' were.

Daryl shook his head as they finally reached the Winnebago as Dale was just climbing down from the roof and he heaved a sigh. He allowed Tessa to step inside before following her, Dale beseeching Andrea to stay outside for a moment so that they could talk. The door shut behind them and he deposited his crossbow on one of the dining sofas as Tessa moved to check on Ethan. He was still sleeping soundly, despite Carol's renewed sobs across from him, and she looked up as Daryl approached her.

"What's wrong?" He whispered and she shook her head, feeling her heart set up another frantic beat in her chest. Not now – not here! She couldn't tell him _now_!

"Nothing's wrong." She spoke and he nodded although she could see in his eyes that he was practically screaming, 'bullshit'. He knew Tessa well enough to know when something was praying on her and by God, something was praying on her something awful at that point. He nodded again as he reached upwards and drew down a couple of blankets from the cabinets above her. She watched him with furrowed eyebrows and he paused when their eyes connected for a moment before he gestured to the blankets.

"I'm sleepin' outside tonight. Its cooler out there and . . . there's more room." He told her, trailing off somewhat awkwardly and she nodded as he turned around and moved towards the door, picking up his crossbow as he did so. The door open and shut behind him as he left and then opened and shut again when Dale walked in. He smiled when he saw her and nodded to the door.

"You should go join him," He spoke and she opened her mouth to say something but he shook his head, stopping her before she could even begin. "Go join him, Tessa. He needs you right now just about as much as you need him!" He gestured to Ethan. "I'll watch him. You just go."

With a light laugh and a nod, knowing better than to talk back to him when he was using that stern voice, Tessa got to her feet. After shooting one last lingering look at her son, Tessa left the Winnebago, closing the door as quietly as she could without waking her son. She looked up at Andrea who pointed a little ways down the line and Tessa immediately knew where he was. He was at their truck.

One of the containers of water Shane had found the day before yesterday in the shipping truck, stood empty beside one of the back tires and when she finally reached him, he was pulling on a clean shirt. He was clean of the grime and whatever else from the past two days and he glanced at her as she neared him. Her hands wrung nervously in front of her and he held her gaze.

"I . . . I promise Daryl, that I'm -!"

"Stop, Tess, just . . . _stop_!"

Her eyes widened as she brought them up to his and he shook his head as he moved over to her. His arms slid around her waist and he brought her into a protective hug, one that she readily reciprocated. "Ya tell me when ya ready, ya hear me? Not when ya feel like ya have to – but when ya finally get tired of fighting it yourself and ya _w__ant _someone to fight alongside ya!" She shot him a grateful smile as he pushed away from her, taking her hand as he did so. He pulled her gently back towards the truck, where the blankets were already spread out on the bed and she smiled as he helped her step up on the tailgate. "I know it ain't the hayloft, but . . . it'll work, right?"

Tessa bit her tongue at the mention of the hayloft – of anything having to do with that damned barn, but nodded as she turned around and gave him a grin. She took his hands, pulling him towards her from her kneeling stance on the truck bed, where she kissed him, her arms moving around his neck as she did so. "No . . . it's even better . . ." She murmured and he grinned as she sat back, pulling him with her as she did so. "Now come on and get over here, Dixon and for the love of God, help me forget!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Reviews are my crack. Please help further my horrible, horrible addiction :)**

* * *

The farmhouse they pulled up to that next morning seemed like something out of a dream – out of their wildest dreams, in fact. A giant white clapboard farmhouse with a wraparound porch found itself nestled within fields lowing with cattle, fat horses and ramshackle barns. The morning was beautiful as well – a perfect representation of a Southern dewy morning around seven o'clock. It looked so peaceful, in fact, that for a moment, it seemed like all their worries could be forgotten.

"Don' let down ya guard too easy, babydoll . . . nothin' is this innocent and peaceful anymore . . ." Tessa heard Daryl speak over the roar of the bike's motor as they drove down the long, winding driveway to the front of the house, the Winnebago and Shane's new car rolling behind them. "Not in this world, anyway . . ." He added and felt Tessa nod in agreement against his back as they saw everyone gather around the front door on the porch as they finally reached the house. Daryl had just enough time to cut off the engine before Tessa had already swung herself off the bike and ran up the steps to Lori, where the two friends hugged tightly. Lori had tears in her eyes as they broke apart, where Tessa immediately began inquiring as to how she was doing. Lori nodded with a smile of gratefulness appearing on her face at her inquiring. The rest of their conversation was inaudible as the rest of the people filed out of the Winnebago and the car.

"How is he?" Dale asked, a look of concern creasing his brow, and Rick adopted a look of intense relief on his face as he nodded, his eyes ghosting over slightly with tears as well.

"He'll pull through!" Lori spoke, a look of relief and joy on her face as her and Tessa ended their conversation. Tessa moved to stand beside her friend and smiled in thankfulness. At least _something _good had managed to happen amidst this shitstorm that had been their lives lately. "Thanks to Hershel and his people, of course!" She spoke as she turned to look at the old man standing behind him flanked by a pretty brunette and an aging woman with golden blonde hair. The older man – Hershel – looked slightly wary as he took in all the new people and when Tessa and Daryl's eyes connected, she immediately knew that it was Hershel that Daryl meant when he said that not everything was as innocent and peaceful anymore. He held a much too way expression on his face for Daryl's liking.

"And Shane," Rick quickly adding, gesturing to a man standing not far away from them and for a moment, they had to blink in shock. "We would have lost Carl if not for him."

The man Rick had gestured to, for a moment, looked nothing like the Shane they had been separated from for a day or two. This Shane was wearing clothes two sizes too big for him as well as sporting a new shaved head. Daryl thought he vaguely looked like a skinhead, a quip that Ethan, who was standing beside him, laughed at when he muttered it to him. Shane shot him a look across the lawn, a look that Daryl immediately shot back. Fuckin' Shane . . . bring it on, Daryl would take him and beat his ass into the ground any day of the week!

Dale, however, had a look of abject relief on his face as he hugged Rick, everyone moving in for hugs too. Lori once again hugged Tessa tightly again and in that tight hug, she could feel every ounce of stress and grief that weighed on her soul. When they broke apart, Lori's eyebrows immediately furrowed in concern. "Oh my God, honey, what's wrong?" She asked, her hand moving to cup her cheek, and Tessa sighed and shook her head.

"Its . . . it's a very long story, Lori. I'll . . . maybe tell ya later." She told her, and Lori nodded, shooting her a look that practically screamed 'You better!' before Rick swept her up in a big bear hug too. Tessa couldn't help but laugh at the embrace and Rick smiled as he released her.

"Thank ya for being here, Tessa," He murmured to her. "I know you'll be a great comfort for Lori while Carl finishes mending." Tessa nodded and waved away his worries like they didn't matter as Daryl stepped forward and shook Rick's hand. He moved to embrace Ethan afterwards and so did Lori as Daryl moved to stand beside Tessa, his arm moving to wrap around her waist as he did so.

"How did it happen?" Dale asked with interest filling his tone, and Rick gave a weak, still slightly flabbergasted shrug.

"Hunting accident. That's all it was – just a stupid hunting accident!" He replied and Dale shook his head and patted him on the back as Daryl leaned in slightly towards Tessa.

"If it's okay with ya, I think I'm gonna pitch our tents a little ways away from the others," He told her, his voice hushed, and she immediately pinned a slightly confused, slightly curious look on him.

"Why?"

He nodded imperceptibly towards Shane still hanging on the fringes of the group. He accepted hugs and pats on the back whenever they came his way, but other than that, he hung back, not really in the mood to socialize. "Look at him – look at the way he's actin'," He told her and when she turned her gaze onto him, he continued: "He looks just like a whipped dog – someone who had recently been dealt a _very _shitty hand!" She glanced back at him then and his lips pursed. "Or he just dealt someone _else _a very shitty hand," He shook his head. "I didn' trust him before and I certainly ain' trustin' him now - especially 'round ya. He's already made his attraction to ya plain - I don' aim to give him an excuse, nor a chance." Tessa nodded in agreement and patted him on the chest.

"Yeah . . . yeah, you do that. I've learned to trust your instincts since I've come back and rarely have they steered us wrong," She turned a fierce gaze onto him and Daryl felt himself relax slightly. Great – he was starting to get the old Tessa back – the Tessa that he knew how to act around. "I don't want us being around him any longer than we absolutely have to! We can go down to the main campsite for food or whenever we feel sociable or whatever. When we sleep, however, I don't want to sleep around him. The darkness of night has a habit of bringing out the darkness in people's souls." Daryl nodded in agreement as they both turned an expressionless gaze onto him.

"Yeah, he's changed, alright . . ." Daryl added, his voice still quiet as his hand curved around her hip, bringing her closer to him, and he shook his head as he did so. "And I don' like it an inch!"

They turned their attention onto Hershel then as he placed a gentle hand on Rick's shoulder and smiled. "We were just about to have the funeral for Otis, if you all would like to join us. He went with Shane to retrieve the supplies we needed to save Carl and unfortunately, he perished on the return trip," He continued to smile as he nodded towards the oak trees where a stack of rocks was already being built. "We would appreciate it mightily if you all would join us!"

Everyone readily agreed and made a slow way to the pile of rocks. Tessa had to partially drag Daryl, however, and even then, the entire time he wore a scowl on his face. Daryl had never been one for funerals – especially funerals of people he didn't know. However, this one turned out to be interesting in more than one way, namely the way that Shane looked like a cornered rabbit the entire time.

Daryl watched Shane with interest as Hershel started out by saying a few passages from the Bible, talking about how Otis was in a much better place now and how he had died a hero by sacrificing himself so that . . . hold up . . . so that _Shane _could get out and save the boy? Daryl couldn't help but cover his mouth as a grin split his face. Oh this was rich . . . _so very _rich! And it only got better when Hershel turned to Shane and asked him if he would say a few words for Otis – being as he was there with him in his final moments. Shane at first tried to brush off the request but eventually, when Patricia (who Daryl assumed was Otis's wife) turned her tear-stained eyes onto him and begged him to, he finally relented. His voice started out feeble and nervous but gained momentum and confidence as he continued on. Everyone seemed to have tears in their eyes as he spoke and lauded Otis's bravery.

Everyone but Daryl.

He found himself wondered if Shane was silently thanking the Academy whenever he got done with his little speech in memory of Otis.

Otis sacrificing himself for Shane, his ass! Daryl would bet anything that it wasn't nearly that cut and dry. _Nothing _with Shane was that cut and dry!

When the funeral was over and done with, Rick quietly told everyone to start getting everything unpacked and set up over near a copse of oak tress not that far from the house but far enough away to where they wouldn't be a bother. Daryl took a firm hold of Tessa's arm as everyone started walking away and they hung back, Tessa giving him a slightly wide-eyed look of surprise. "Just for tonight, can ya set up our tents with the others? I have a feelin' that Rick's gonna want us out and lookin' for Sophia again and I won' have time to look for a place that would satisfy my paranoia . . . _away_ from Shane's, okay?" He told her, his voice coming out a tad bitter, and Tessa smiled and nodded as she cupped his cheek and pressed a loving kiss to his lips, a kiss he didn't hesitate to return.

"Of course, I don't mind. Just as long as it's for one night only . . ." She turned an uneasy gaze onto Shane as she trailed off, and Daryl pursed his lips as he followed her gaze. She turned hers back onto him and smiled again. "Take Ethan with ya, though, okay? It'd make me feel better since we're in a new place and besides, the kid's been rearing to go out with you again, anyway!" She begged him and he gave her a slightly confused look that bordered on teasing.

"Oh come on babydoll, we're in _Georgia_, not the mountains of Tibet! I'm pretty sure I'm fine on ma own!" He told her and she couldn't help but slap him on the chest in playful indignation as he grinned and laughed.

"After all, you did survive for nine days on berries and wiping your ass on poison oak, right?" She asked and he continued to grin.

"I told ya, don' make fun of ma itchy ass!" He growled as he wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer to him, his lips falling onto hers as he squeezed her unnecessarily harder than warranted. She laughed, though, and when he had lowered her back down onto her feet, his arms moving into a more relaxed position around her waist, she smoothed her hands over his chest and pinned him with a serious stare.

"In all seriousness, take him with you, Daryl, okay? It'd mean a lot to him!" She told him and he nodded, his playful air disappearing in favor of his typical solemn one. He let go of her and moved to adjust the crossbow hanging around him.

"Yeah, I will, but ya have to do somethin' for me, okay?" She nodded and he once again threw a look at Shane's back. "You stick with the others at all times. I mean, I'm sure ya not gonna be able to tear Lori off of ya ass anyway, but just in case . . . stick with the others, okay? Preferably the ones with the guns!" Tessa nodded as she moved up on her tiptoes to press a loving kiss to his cheek before lowering herself back down again.

"I promise that I will. And your right, me and Lori _do _have a lot to catch up on!" She admitted as they finally started making their way to the rest of the group. Daryl gestured Ethan over to him before nodding to where Shane, Andrea, Rick and Hershel were grouped around map spread on the Cherokee's hood. Ethan's face immediately brightened as he ducked into the Winnebago to retrieve his bow and rifle before jogging over to him. Tessa grinned as she planted a kiss on his cheek and as Daryl affectionately ruffled his hair. Daryl still thought it was a little creepy how much Ethan resembled his Native American ancestors, but yet, totally resembled Daryl as well, in both looks and mannerisms as well.

"I'll see you guys later, okay?" Tessa told them and they nodded as she shot them each a smile before moving off to the Winnebago to collect their things. Daryl and Ethan moved over to the group grouped around the map right around the time when Hershel was admonishing Shane and Rick for thinking they could go out and search in their current conditions.

"You gave three units of blood," He began, his attention on Rick standing beside him. "You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out," He turned his eyes onto Shane then. "And your ankle – push it now and you'll be laid up for a month, no good to anybody then." Daryl sighed then as he shifted to get a better look at the map in front of him.

"Guess that leaves just me and my boy!" He spoke in a tone that suggested he had been suspecting that very thing to happen, and everyone turned expectant gazes onto him as he cocked his head slightly to the side in order to better read the map. He leaned over and gestured to what looked like the creek they had been at earlier. "We gon' head back up to the creek and work our way down from there," He glanced at Ethan standing beside him. "That good with ya?" Ethan gave a shrug and nodded.

"Sure. I saw a couple of tracks when we were there the first time – around the time we had to head back 'cause it was gettin' dark. If they're still there, I wanna have a look at 'em. They looked like they might fit Sophia's size and gait easy." Daryl shot Rick a proud look and Rick could barely keep the smile from his face as Shane piped up then:

"Well, I can still be useful. I'll drive up to the interstate and see if Sophia wandered back." Rick nodded, feeling a tad frustrated that he wasn't able to go but by the look of relief on Daryl's, he got the feeling that he was. It was nothing personal towards Rick, after all, the more people they had out looking for her, the quicker they would find her, but with Rick there at least Daryl knew with one hundred percent certainty, that Shane would have on a leash on him.

"Alright, tomorrow then," He spoke before sighing. "It's about time we start doing this thing right!" Shane nodded.

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. They need the gun training we've been promising them." Rick nodded while Hershel tensed.

"I would prefer that you not carry guns on my property," He spoke, his voice firm and brooking no argument. "We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp and we aim to keep it that way!"

"With all due respect," Shane spoke up, Hershel's eyes moving to him. "But you get a crowd of those things wandering in here . . ." He let out a snort of amusement and Rick hastily moved to smooth things over.

"Look, whether we agree with it or not, we are guests here," He spoke, pinning Shane with a glare as he did so. "This is your property," He nodded towards Hershel then before pinning Shane with another glare. "And we _will _respect that." As if to pound his point home, he withdrew the pistol from the holster at his side and planted it on the map on top of the truck. Shane glared at him for a moment before reluctantly doing the same.

"First things first: set up camp and then find Sophia," He spoke and Shane shook his head.

"Look, I hate to bring shit up but I gotta ask. What do we do if we find her and she's bit? I think we should all be clear on how we handle that." Rick stood there and thought for a moment before finally replying.

"You do what has to be done."

"And what about her mother? What do you tell her?" Maggie Greene, Hershel's daughter, asked.

"The truth," Andrea answered in turn and only Daryl seemed to notice the imperceptible shake of the head that Hershel sent his daughter. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and when he glanced back at Ethan to see if the boy had picked it up, he was happy to see a look of confusion gracing his features as well. For the love of God why did everything here make Daryl feel like there was a secret and a deceiving word at every twist and turn?

Finally, he shook his head and gestured for Ethan to follow him. "Come on, we best head out . . . we're burnin' daylight." He told him and Ethan nodded in agreement as they moved off, leaving the others still grouped around the map. He shook his head when they were far enough away so that there were no risks of being eavesdropped on. "We're in no big hurry really; I just wanted to get away from that. I don' like this, Ethan - I don' like this at all! Nothin' about this place sits well with me. It seems too good to be true here . . ." He spoke and Ethan nodded as well.

"I know what ya mean. Did you notice that shake of the head that Hershel sent his daughter when she asked what we would tell Carol if we ever had to shoot Sophia because she was bitten or a walker?" Daryl nodded.

"It was plain as day to me and ya, but apparently not to the others," He glanced at him. "Ya watch ya back here, ya understand? Watch ya back and watch ya momma's back when I'm not around. I love Tessa to death but she's not exactly deadly with a weapon! Not-to-mention, she's not exactly in a good place right now . . ." Ethan nodded in agreement and snorted out a laugh.

"Ya don't have to tell me twice, deddy!" He spoke and Daryl couldn't help the grin that threatened to turn up his features as they headed for the forest tree line.

"Atta boy . . .!"

They stopped, however, when they heard Rick's voice calling them back. Daryl came to a stop and turned around to face him, Ethan coming to a stop as well. "You guys okay on your own?" He asked, and Daryl glanced at Ethan and shrugged.

"We're Dixons – we're better on our own! Don' worry, though, we'll be before dark." He replied and Rick sighed as he put his hands on his hips.

"I mean . . . we got a base, now. We can get this search properly organized now." Ethan saw Daryl's jaw harden slightly as he took a couple of steps towards Rick.

"You got a point, or are we just chatting?"

"My point," Rick replied, his voice nothing but patience. "Is that this new base lets you and your own off the hook. You don't owe us anything. You guys can even leave if you want – we won't stop you!" He told them and Daryl sighed as he glanced back at Ethan waiting patiently behind him, his face expressionless. When he first arrived, he had actually considered that. It was like he said to both Tessa and Ethan – nothing about this place put him as ease. However, when he looked at Ethan and then subsequently looked back at Tessa standing across the way laughing with Lori and having the first fun she has had since the onset of her so-called 'depression', he found that he didn't have the strength to anymore. There was safety in numbers, after all, and who was he to tear _his_ family away from the only family they knew since this damned apocalypse started – ramshackle and broken as it was.

Eventually, he sighed as he turned around and headed back towards Ethan. "My other plans fell through . . ."

* * *

Tessa watched Daryl and Ethan walk away from the others grouped around the map and the Cherokee with interest as she busied herself with getting everything set up with Lori. Glenn and Dale were busy setting up the two tents her and Daryl and Ethan used since she herself didn't actually know how to set them up herself (she was never a big camper) and Lori smiled as she knocked her hip into her friend's.

"So . . . ya ready to tell me about all this shit that you've been going through for the past few days?" She asked, her tone cheerful, and Tessa heaved a sigh and shook her head.

"It's just . . . It's _so complicated_, Lor!" She began, and Lori nodded.

"Yeah, Dale told me it was a little complicated," She murmured and Tessa nodded.

"He wasn't lying. I never told him anything though . . ." She trailed off then and Lori glanced at her.

"You know . . . if you ever need someone to talk to, then I'm here. God knows I've been through my fair share of shit too these past couple of days!" She told her with a weary laugh and Tessa laughed as well and shook her head. They worked in silence for a moment before Tessa sighed and stood up, her hands moving to plant on her hips.

"Ya know something?" She spoke and Lori turned her eyes up to Tessa's, eyes squinting in the sunlight. "What I have to say, I have to tell Daryl. There's no skirting around it any longer – I _have _to tell him!" She shifted a little uneasily from foot to foot then. "It'd make me feel tons better if I told someone else before him though . . . ya know, to work out what I'm gonna say . . .?" Lori smiled a small smile and nodded as she got to her feet.

"You got it, honey. Carol, can you and the guys handle things from here on out?" She asked, and the older woman nodded as she straightened up and looked around them. The camp was already close to being finished up and she nodded again.

"Yeah, I think we can. Why?" Lori shrugged as she turned her gaze onto Tessa standing beside her.

"Oh no reason – just some much needed girl talk!" She spoke and Carol nodded as Lori took Tessa's hand and led her off then, towards a crumbling chimney up on a hill a ways away from the camp. Dale shouted at them to not go far and they both turned around and shouted back that they wouldn't. In fact, they didn't walk all the way up to the chimney on the hill, but they did stop midway there, where they turned to face each other. "Okay . . . lay it on me!" Lori told with a sigh and Tessa pursed her lips for a moment before launching into everything. She started at the rape in the barn at the hands of Merle and his druggie friend being the real reason why she left Daryl and even a more recent thing that was, possibly, even more important than whatever had happened in the past. When she was done, Lori's eyes were wide with shock and she shook her head as she stepped forward and gently took her hands.

"Tessa, honey, I'm so sorry that happened to you – no woman on earth deserves that! Hell, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy – especially from _Merle _of all men! But, you _have _to tell him, though! He _needs _to know!" He told her and Tessa nodded.

"I know, Lor, I know! It's just . . ." She shrugged. "I don't know how to tell him without him freaking out!" Lori grinned.

"Why would he freak out? It's _amazing _news – I would think he would be happy!" Tessa shrugged then and looked away.

"I know Daryl and it wouldn't matter how joyful the news was, as soon as I mention the fact that _he_ helped me and not-to-mention _why _he helped me in the first place, he'd be so mad that chances are, he would stomp off in a huff before I could even finish!" She shook her head. "Daryl had always been difficult to tell things too. There is no reason that this time would be _any _different!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so here's the muchly anticipated chapter of when Tessa tells Daryl everything . . . "everything". So yeah, its pretty explosive and I hope to Hell ya guys like it :)**

**Just to clear up confusion, I did draw a lot of inspiration from the song "Lay Lady Lay" by Bob Dylan. It is by Bob Dylan and I do reference HIS version of the song throughout the chapter purely for chronologically sake. I, personally, prefer the Magnet & Gemma Hayes version, however, their version of the song was not out when Daryl and Tessa were going through this, so I had, of course to use Bob Dylan. If you do want to listen to the song to get the feel I did for the chapter, then I severely urge you to listen to the Magnet & Gemma Hayes version over Bob Dylan because that's the version I used because to me, the Bob Dylan version is too cheery for this cheery. The other one is much more slowed down and mellow. Just clearing some stuff up :)**

**Read, review and enjoy!**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, I expect them to get back to their original length next chapter.**

* * *

_"Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed._  
_Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed._

_Whatever colors you have in your mind._  
_I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine._

_Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed. _  
_Stay lady stay, stay with your man awhile._  
_Until the break of day, let me see you make 'em smile."_

_- Lay Lady Lay by Magnet & Gemma Hates (cover of a Bob Dylan song by the same name)_

"Hey deddy – the tracks lead over this a-way!"

Daryl looked up at Ethan's words. He was kneeling on the ground about a meter or two away from him and Daryl couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows in confusion as he nodded towards him. "Are those the tracks ya've been trackin' since the creek?" Ethan nodded and Daryl got to his feet, where he moved to join his son. "That's hard to believe . . . why would she have wandered this far away?" Ethan shrugged but nodded to a break in the trees not far off from where they were standing.

"Beats me, but whatever the reason, they look like they lead through that break in the trees there. Beyond that, looks to be a meadow of some sort . . ." Daryl nodded as he held his crossbow at the ready.

"Well alrighty then, looks like we're goin' through those trees next! Get ya bow ready – God only knows what we're gonna face out there." Ethan nodded and quickly readied his bow as they made a slow way through trees. It did indeed empty out into a meadow but they weren't completely alone in the meadow. A huge abandoned house not at all like the house they depicted in the _Texas Chainsaw Massacre _movies, sat right smack dab in the middle.

"Is it abandoned?" Ethan asked, and Daryl shrugged.

"Looks to be. Come on, let's check it out. She could be inside." Ethan nodded as Daryl led the way to the house. It was absolutely quiet in the meadow, no birds, no insects, no nothing sounded anything – not even the wind blew through the trees and the tall grass, ruffling the strands and the leaves on the branches. The two Dixons would be lying if they said it didn't creep them out just a little bit. Nothing good ever came out of anything being so damn quiet.

The house had obviously been barricaded but the front door broke open easily when Daryl kicked it open, crossbow immediately at the ready. They stepped in the house slowly and cautiously, their senses attuned to pick up anything and everything. If there was anything alive in that house, they would know it as soon as it made the slightest bit of movement.

"Ya want me to check the upstairs?" Ethan asked him, his voice quiet, and Daryl shook his head.

"Nah, not right now. I don't trust those stairs and if there's anythin' up there, I don' want ya to have to face it alone," He shot him a grin. "Tessa would never forgive me if I allowed ya to get even the tiniest splinter!" Ethan shot him a look as they continued down the creaky hallway on their journey making sure the house was completely safe. By the looks of the destruction and overall weatherbeatenness of the inside as well as the barrenness of the rooms, Daryl would say that the house had been abandoned for a long time . . . possibly even before the walkers came.

"There's a can of freshly opened sardines over here . . ." Daryl told him when they entered what looked like the kitchen and Ethan nodded before gesturing to a closed to doorway across the room, his bow pointed at it.

"Was that door open when we came in here?" He asked, and Daryl shot him a look as he slowly inched to it, his crossbow at the ready. Ethan fell in step behind him, covering his father as Daryl reached out and took ahold of the thin plyboard side. When he opened it, the only thing behind it was a half stocked pantry. Daryl sighed and allowed his crossbow to fall lankly to his side as he turned to leave. Ethan's hand caught him in the chest, however, and he pointed down to the floor. Daryl followed his gaze and his eyes widened.

"Jackpot . . ." He murmured as he stooped down to observe the small bedding lay out on the floor of the pantry. It seemed exactly Sophia's size for there would have been no way in Hell that a regular sized adult could have squeezed himself or herself into such a small space. It had to have been a child – it had to have been Sophia!

He glanced at Ethan and gestured to the front door. "Ya take the front door and I'll take the backdoor. Circle the property and meet me 'round back. Keep ya eyes peeled for any crawlspaces that she could have gotten into." He told him and Ethan nodded before he turned around and retraced his steps back through the house to the front door. Daryl turned in a slow circle, wanting to make sure he missed nothing else in the house and it was then that his eyes landed on it.

It was a necklace – polished to a shine and made of expertly cut black soapstone. It hung on a woven clothe chain and when he picked it up, it was clear it was of genuine Cherokee make – not a Wal-Mart brand rip-off. His eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion. They were a long way away from any Cherokee reservation, the closest one being the one on the other side of Atlanta – the one that Tessa and Ethan had originally came from. What the Hell was this little piece of history doing in such a rundown, abandoned shithole like this?

He gave up wondering about it and pocketed it without giving it too much thought. He already had something to do. He had to find Sophia, not wonder about the authenticity of a necklace. He moved out the backdoor and stepped outside right when Ethan was rounding the corner. The youngest Dixon shrugged in defeat and Daryl swore under his breath before shouting out 'Sophia!' Ethan did it too as they craned their heads to see inside the surrounding tree line and it was then that Daryl's eyes caught sight of the lone white flower blooming not far away from them in a bed of thorn bushes. He made his quick way over to it, Ethan on his heels and when he reached it, he bent down in front of it, his eyebrows furrowing in slight interest.

"It's a Cherokee Rose . . ." Ethan spoke in slight interest and Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, what's it doin' here?" He glanced behind him. "Ya know the story behind this, don' ya?" Ethan nodded.

"Kinda. It has something to do with the Trail of Tears and mothers losing their children, right? Momma told it to me one day when I was young but . . . I wasn't listening." Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, it has to do with a Cherokee fable that claims these flowers sprang up from the tears of Cherokee mothers when they would lose their children along the Trail of Tears. I mean, that's not all of it but ya'll have to get ya momma to tell it to ya again someday. She _should _know it; after all, _she _was the one I heard it from in the first place!" They stood there and observed it for a moment before Daryl leaned forward and gently plucked it.

"What do ya plan on doing with that?" Ethan couldn't help but ask in interest, and Daryl chewed on the inside of his lip as he turned around and headed back into the house.

"Givin' a mother hope."

* * *

"Hey . . ."

Tessa jerked around when she heard the quiet voice coming up behind her and smiled when she saw it was Daryl. She was up on the hill by the crumbling chimney, sitting on the ground with her back to the ancient brick. "You guys are back! Any luck?" He shrugged as he moved to join her.

"Yes and no. We didn' find Sophia but we did find beddin' in a pantry of an abandoned house. It fit her body size," She nodded and looked away, her face resuming its pensive look that she had carried before he came up to join her. He chewed on the corner of his thumbnail for a moment before heaving a sigh. "I gotta talk to ya . . ." He spoke and Tessa snapped her eyes onto him and nodded.

"Yeah, me too. You go first though – I doubt you can top mine!" She chuckled and Daryl shared her laugh as he nodded to her.

"Turn around. It's a surprise." Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, she did as she was told and turned slightly at the waist so that her back was to him. Daryl lifted his hips up slightly and pulled the necklace out of his front jeans pocket. His arm curved around her waist, pulling her back to him as he brought the necklace into her view. Her look of confusion was joined by a look of interest.

"What is it?" Tessa asked as she took the pendant in her hand. It was made of what appeared to be polished black soapstone and be carved in the shape of a bear . . . a bear and her cub. Her eyes softened as Daryl placed a chaste kiss on her neck.

"When me and Ethan were lookin' for Sophia today, I came across this in the house we were lookin' through – the house where we found the beddin' in. It looks Cherokee and I thought ya . . . ya know . . . might want it . . ." He told her somewhat awkwardly, and Tessa grinned as she ran a loving finger over the polished surface. "Maybe ya . . . ya know, could wear it with the one ya already have – the one that used to be ya grandma's."

"There's an old Cherokee myth having to do with a bear, you know. Actually, there are many, but . . . there's one that is especially appropriate," She told him and when he nodded, she grinned and shrugged as she turned around slightly and handed it back to him. "Help me put it on, will ya?" Daryl nodded as he took it from her and she moved her hair out of the way. "I don't remember it all because my grandmother told me it when I was a child a long, long time ago, but what I do remember is that it encompassed a beautiful woman mourning the death of her child because it had been so cruelly taken from her. The Gods took pity on her and changed her into one of the first black bears. Then, as a sign of love and sorrow, they brought her child back to life in the form of a bear cub - _her _bear cub. I'm mean, I'm not nearly doing the story justice, I know, but ever since then, the Cherokee have utilized the bear as a symbol of motherhood because of how diligently and lovingly the bear raises her cub into adulthood," She turned around and turned a soft eye onto him, her hand moving to slid up his chest to cup his neck. "I love it, Daryl," She shook her head. "And whatever I tell you – however you choose to react to it, know that I love _you _and I always will!"

The words seemed to make his blood run cold instead of warm him inside out like they should have. He had wanted her to hear her tell him she loved him for the longest time, however, the accompanying words shot that feeling all to Hell. "What do you have to tell me?" He asked her, his voice coming out quiet and far away, like a child's who was about to be told his parents were getting a divorce or one of them had just died of very unfortunate circumstances.

Tessa stayed quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts before she began. When she did – when she finally told him what Merle had done to her in the barn – _their _barn – with his druggie friend, she could bring herself to meet his eyes. She felt the subtle tightening of his arms around her but didn't know whether that was because of his sorrow that he hadn't been there to protect her when she needed him most, or because he was shocked at what she was telling him. It _was _Merle, after all, and although their relationship was by no means harmonious, Daryl still held an almost blind love and loyalty for his brother.

"So that's really why ya left me, ain' it? It wasn' really his temperament that made ya finally leave, but . . . but what he and Dennis did to ya?" She nodded and he swallowed hard. "That's . . . that's what caused ya depression too, ain' it? Why ya . . ." He glanced away and swallowed hard before turning his eyes back onto hers. His eyes were wet when he turned them onto her and she had to admit, it was the first time Tessa had ever seen tears in his eyes. "Why ya couldn' touch me until the night ya left . . ." She nodded and it was then that he let her go and got to his feet. He took a few steps away, his back to her and she could tell that he was fighting hard to control the whirlwind of emotions flying around inside him like a hurricane. There wasn't just anger, she realized, but betrayal, confusion and agony as well.

"But . . . that's not all . . ." She told him and the look of shocked disbelief he turned onto her then made her heart beat faster.

"T-There's more?" He demanded, his eyes becoming slightly enraged. "_Now_ what are ya goin' to tell me? That-that you thought, for one _fuckin'_ minute, that Ethan was Merle's?"

She swallowed hard, her eyes averting to the ground at his words and the look of horror that appeared on his face and in his eyes then really did make her heart pound. Her eyes widened as she quickly got to her feet and moved over to him. He expertly sidestepped her, though, his eyes unable to break with hers. "Daryl, please don't -!"

"Are you _shittin'_ me, Tess?" He asked her, his voice trembling with barely held back rage. His eyes bubbled with tears and his jaw hardened. It was all in rage, though . . . rage and agony. His shook his head. "If what ya gonna tell me next is that Ethan's not even ma son after I grew to fuckin' love him with all my heart, then ya mine-as-well shoot me now 'cause all I'm gonna do is walk in those woods and do it myself, I swear to God, Tessa Nightrun!"

Tears appeared in her eyes as well as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "He _is_ yours, so I don't want any more talk of suicide, Daryl _Dixon_!" She told him with a finality that momentarily shocked him as she spat out his last name with particular venom. She had always hated it when they would get into a fight and he would call her by her full name. She had no idea why, she just did.

"How do ya know?" She heaved a heavy sigh and looked away. She didn't answer him for a moment and his teeth gritted. "How _the fuck_ do ya know?" He repeated, his anger close to brimming over and she rolled her eyes.

"Jenner, okay?" She snapped back at him, her eyes starting to flicker with angry electricity and this time, he did recoil.

"W-what? _Jenner_? How?" Tessa nodded.

"All while Ethan was growing up, I always . . . I always _felt _that he was yours, Daryl! Deeply, maternally, I _knew _he was conceived with you the night that I left, not in the barn with Merle. So, when we were at the CDC, I saw my chance. Jenner was a scientist – he had the facilities available to get it done. While you were in the shower, I went down to him and he agreed to do a paternity test on you and Ethan. The test came back positive – you _are _Ethan's father, Daryl! Not Merle, but _you_!"

"How did he -?"

"The blood," She interrupted him. "The blood that he took from us when we first entered; he used whatever he had left of that," She moved over to him then, slowly, as if approaching a frightened horse ready to bolt, and her hand gently smoothed over his chest. His eyes darted down to the new pendant hanging around her neck before moving back up to hers. "I thought . . . I thought this news you would welcome! Now you know, with one hundred percent certainty, that Ethan is your son!" She shook her head as a lone tear streak down her cheek. "You know I wouldn't lie to you about something like _this_! _Not this_!"

Daryl's eyes searched hers, digging deep for any sign that she was lying to him, and immediately relaxed when he didn't. They were wide and honest and he let out a defeated groan then as he looped his arms around her waist and brought her roughly into him. His face buried in her neck as sobs wracked through his body. He begged for her forgiveness – for not being there when she needed him most and she gave it, readily – anything to keep him from becoming angry and storming off.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and she held him as for once, he allowed his walls down. And when his tears seemed to dry up and he collected himself, he broke apart from her. It was then, as she stood there, unmoving, she watched him as he cracked - as he spilled open and his demons flew out with a single tear from a weary but enraged eye.

"The next time I see Merle . . . I'm bringin' ya his head!"

* * *

_"__Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed_

___Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed . . ."_

___She knew she was going against her heart - that this would wound him more than anything his father, mother or brother could ever have done to him as a child, but she just had to go. It wasn't that she didn't love him - because she did! She just . . . _

_Tessa stood in front of the window across from Daryl's bed, watching through the blackness of the deep Southern night as the fat raindrops pelted against the windowpane and the glass. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest as she____ turned her head to look back at the tiny diamond gold engagement sitting on the worn wooden nightstand by his bed - the bed where he slept in a peaceful slumber. There was a clear spot beside him - in his arms - that was clear where she had been sleeping before she decided this was what she was going to do. _His scarred chest was bare, as was the rest of his body, for they had made love not long ago for the first time since her assault in the barn, throwing their clothing into the darkest corners of the room in their haste to be connected, hot flesh, to hot flesh. Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" played softly over the radio and even then, it still played. She found it would always be her favorite song . . . 

_Tessa smiled a small smile as a tear leaked out from underneath her closed eyelid and slid down her cheek, leaving a watery trail in its wake that shimmered in the light of the moon that managed to squeeze its way into the room through the fat raindrops. She slowly gathered her clothes from the floor and dressed just as slowly. She then shrugged on his leather jacket even though it was plenty warm out, not because she was cold, but because she selfishly wanted something of Daryl's to remember him by . . . something that smelled like him._

_Daryl Dixon . . . redneck, white trash hick - borderline racist . . . the only man she ever loved and she bet she ever would. _

_"Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile  
Why wait any longer for the world to begin  
You can have your cake and eat it too  
Why wait any longer for the one you love  
When he's standing in front of you . . ."_

_The stanza she came in on in the song almost made her buckle down and sob. At first glance, she found her entire body screaming at her not to leave him - to stay with him for a while. However, once she dug deeper, she realized that her mind . . . oh God, she felt like her mind was in shambles! She knew if she stayed there any longer, with those leering, all-knowing smirks and sneers that Merle would send her whenever Daryl wasn't looking, that she would only get worse, and to her, that would hurt Daryl infinitely more than her leaving him. _

_She loved him too much to allow him to just sit by and watch her slowly wither and die while she couldn't summon the courage to tell him_ why. _She wasn't strong enough to be with him anymore - she couldn't give him what he wanted. She couldn't marry him - she couldn't give him the children he wanted so badly . . . not with Merle there._

_"I'm so sorry Daryl, but I cannot stay here and carry on any longer! I love you . . ._ so fucking much_!_"_ She whispered, her voice heavy with unshed tears as she kissed him gently on the cheek before slipping quickly and quietly out the doorway before he could awake. _

___He didn't. _


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a few days - been having friend and family problems that's been keeping me from writing. That and I got the newest True Blood season, so I've been watching that and catching up :)**

**This is primarily a Daryl centered chapter, taking place during the Chupacabra episode, which, I'm pretty sure if everyone's favorite episode from season two and it does stay pretty close to the episode, so its not really AU. It was also pretty hard to write in the beginning.**

**Not to mention, yay, a longer chapter! :)**

* * *

Tessa awoke that morning, earlier than usual, only to find Daryl already up and getting dressed, trying to be as quiet as he could. "Where are you going?" She asked him groggily, and Daryl glanced at her before nodding to the group of people surrounding the hood of the Cherokee.

"Going out to look for Sophia again. I wanna stay hot on the trail that me and Ethan found yesterday." He answered her as he pulled on one of his numerous tanks. She nodded and rubbed at her eyes tiredly as she sat up. The sheet fell down to her waist, baring her nudity to him and he felt himself quirk an amused smile. He adored her total lack of modesty whenever they were alone.

Still smiling, he moved over to her and sat down on her side of the mattress. She moved her legs slightly to give him room and he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Sorry I woke you." She shook her head.

"You didn't wake me; I guess I was needing to get up anyway. And besides, once I wake up, its nearly impossible for me to go back to sleep anyway!" She smiled a small smile in return. "When are you leaving out?" He shrugged and glanced towards the tent entrance.

"I gotta go touch base with the others and then I'll probably be off."

"Are you taking Ethan?" Daryl shook his head.

"I don' think I am this time. I want him around ya today, Tess. I still don' trust Shane and at least with Ethan here, ya have a damn good shot with ya!" She nodded but still held a slightly skeptical look on her face, one that Daryl scowled slightly at. He slid his hand behind her neck and planted a loving kiss on her lips. She returned his kiss and when they broke apart, he shook his head. "Ethan's my son, Tess. I will never doubt that and me not takin' him along today has _nothin_' to do with yesterday. I really just want him here with you today, that's all!" She nodded, her look of skepticism disappearing in favor of a relieved one. She held him close for a moment, reveling in the fact that she still had him after almost losing him and it was then that the fact that there would always be hardships between them, struck home. Merle would always be a hardship between them – one that the both of them doubted they would ever fully get rid of, especially if and when the fucker decided to pop up.

He broke apart from her slowly and got to his feet, where he stooped to pick up an over shirt lying by their bags. "I gotta go touch base," He turned around and a slightly hesitant look appeared in his eyes. "I don't know when I'll be back, exactly – I'm gonna follow the trail as much as I can. But don' be alarmed if I don' come back 'till tomorrow 'kay?" Tessa nodded although he was slightly nervous. She knew the reason that Daryl wanted Ethan with her – if he wasn't back until morning, he wanted someone with her who would be able to protect her in his stead.

With a soft smile, she got to her feet then and moved over to him, where she gently drug him down to her. She planted a loving kiss on his cheek as his hands wrapped around her bare back, the callused flesh of his palms warming at the smoothness of her dark skin as he brought her against him in an embrace.

"You just be careful, okay?" She told him quietly, not even trying to mask the sound of worry in her voice, and he nodded.

"You know I will be. I'll do _anythin'_ to get back to ya – ya have my word, Tess!" She continued to smile as they parted again, Daryl ducking out through the tent entrance, picking up his crossbow as he went. He moved over to the group of people, still feeling himself waking up as he did so. He had, had a Hell of a yesterday and was amazed that he was even on his feet and not still reeling from the news that Tessa chose to smack him with, especially when he had come so close to thinking his life as he had now come to know and cherish, was officially and cruelly over. Thank God it wasn't – that Ethan _was _his son instead of Merle's, but he was still slightly reeling and it took him a moment to realize that maybe him and Tessa's lovemaking the previous night hadn't necessarily a good thing. He needed one Hell of a good sleep after the previous last few days of excitement, not sex. However, once he thought about it, he realized that the two of them hadn't cared last night and that they wouldn't regret it now. Both of their worlds had almost come to a screeching halt the previous day and they needed something to bond them together again – something that had them clawing at each other like animals and as exhausted afterwards as an old coon-dog on a warm winter night with his belly full.

Tessa was the only one who looked at the scars that littered his body and didn't immediately say 'ugly'. She was the only one who wasn't frightened off by them or was sickened by them. She called them his 'war wounds' and when you realize that your whole entire life had been nothing but one big war for survival, he found himself realizing that she was once again speaking the truth.

Rick was in the middle of talking as he finally joined them and he nodded at Daryl when he finally did, a nod that Daryl returned, much to Shane's chagrin. The man scowled and looked away.

"If she made it as far as the farmhouse that Daryl and Ethan found, she might have gone further east that we've been so far -"

"I'd like to help . . ."

They found themselves recoiling somewhat in surprise as one of Hershel's people, a kid Daryl would place anywhere from fifteen to seventeen, stepped forward. Slightly nervous, Daryl doubted he knew how to properly shoot a gun and found himself somewhat regretting not bringing Ethan alone. He had a few good quips that were going unheard right now.

"I know the area pretty well and stuff," He began as Daryl began pulling on his over-shirt. Rick turned a slightly skeptical gaze onto him.

"Hershel is okay with this?" The boy nodded.

"Yeah . . . yeah. He said I should ask you, though." Rick nodded and Daryl immediately found himself shaking his mental head at Rick. Guy needed to know when people were lying through their teeth and dammit it all if this kid wasn't playing Rick for an utter fool! But ah well, it wasn't his problem.

"Well all right then - thanks!" He returned and the kid nodded in return as Shane moved towards them.

"Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me, I'm sorry," He admitted "Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse."

"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea returned and Daryl shook his head.

"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high," He spoke, his eyes boring holes into Shane's back as he held his hand out to the side of him, to better measure how tall Sophia was. Rick and Andrea nodded as he returned to buttoning up his shirt. Tessa ruined the one he had last night – his favorite - by tearing it open, causing all the buttons to pop off in her haste to get him naked. He hated this one 'cause it was his old man's but what the Hell, you used what you had.

"It's a good lead." Andrea told him and Rick nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again." He added, a hopeful tone to his voice, and Daryl nodded in agreement before leaning over the map to get a better look.

"Well there's no maybe 'bout it! I'm gonna borrow a horse and head up to this ridge right here – take a bird's eye view of whole grid." He told him, tracing out the path he was going to take for good measure and they nodded again, looks of approval on their faces. "If she's up there, I'll spot her fer sure." T-Dog nodded in approval as well as he ran over the path once more with his eyes.

"Good idea, man. Maybe you'll see your Chupacabra up there, too." He said, his tone teasing and it was then that Daryl noticed Tessa ducking out from the tent, fully clothed and hair impeccably done up with its signature clip. The necklace he found her yesterday in the farmhouse hung alongside her grandmother's and . . .

Wait a tick . . . was she wearing one of his _shirts_?

Right around the time the thought popped into his head, her eyebrows had already furrowed in interest at T-Dog's words, causing her to move to join them. He found himself immediately gazing down at her, eyes unabashedly raking over her curvaceous frame for a moment before he realized that she was. It hung big on her but nonetheless did little to mask the killer curves she had underneath.

_Damn_ it looked good on her!

The boy smiled and nodded in greeting when she joined them, a slight blush appearing on his face as he did so. Daryl wanted to let out a bark of a laugh as he slid his arm around her waist and brought her snugly against his side. It figured that the kid had a crush on Tessa. In fact, it was . . . almost kinda cute to Daryl. He planted a kiss on her forehead and the kid looked away at the motion, opting to turn an amused gaze onto T-Dog as he did so.

"What's this I hear about a _chupacabra_?" She asked with a snort of amusement as she turned a look of amusement onto Daryl, and Dale laughed and nodded.

"I can't believe you've never heard this one, Tessa!" He remarked and Daryl shook his head as Dale laughed again.

"Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time he went squirrel hunting and saw a chupacabra," He told them as he lay a rifle on the hood of the car in front of them, Daryl letting out a confident nod as he did so. Tessa couldn't help but laugh and so did the kid. While Daryl ignored Tessa's, he pinned the kid with a testy look, one that immediately had Tessa's hand fisting warningly into the side of his shirt.

"What'cha ya brayin' at, jackass?" He asked snappishly and the kid laughed again and shrugged.

"So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?" He asked and Daryl shot him a condescending look.

"Do you believe dead people are walking around?" He returned and Tessa rolled her eyes and slapped him on the chest as the kid looked away again. He reached for the rifle on the hood of the truck and Rick immediately leapt forward to place his hand on his.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute! Have you ever fired one of these before?" He asked as he took the rifle for himself and the kid shrugged again.

"Well, if I'm going out, I want one." He replied and Daryl rolled his eyes as he shouldered his crossbow, taking Tessa's hand as he did so.

"Yeah, short shit, and people in Hell want Slurpee's!" He cracked back as he moved towards the tent that Ethan had ducked out of. The thirteen-year-old saw Glenn standing watch by the Winnebago with some binoculars and immediately grinned and moved to join his best friend. Tessa moved alongside him as the kid reddened slightly at his words. Daryl shook his head as he suddenly stopped and twirled Tessa around to stand in front of him. He grinned as he arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to him, taking her slightly off of her feet. "Did I give ya permission to wear my shirt, tease?" He joked and she shook her head as she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Well, I figured that maybe if I was wearing one of _your _shirts, you wouldn't be so quick to tear it off me like you did mine!" She grinned in return and his eyes twinkled as he bent down and kissed her, passionately and breathlessly. Ever since she finally got everything off her chest – everything she had been keeping from him, Tessa felt like a load had been taken off of her shoulders. She felt like the Tessa that Daryl knew and loved again – the Tessa that he and everyone else didn't have to walk on eggshells around anymore. It felt amazing.

"Ya just wait until I get back, Nightrun! Ya think one of my shirts is gonna keep me off of ya? And besides . . . that was payback for mine!" He let out a laugh then and Tessa shook her head as she returned his kiss.

"Not if I jump you first!" She shot back challengingly and one of Daryl's eyebrows cocked in amusement. He opened his mouth to say something, however, Tessa interrupted him by wrapping her arms around his neck, careful of the crossbow strapped behind him, and planted another kiss on his lips – a slower, sweeter kiss. When they broke apart, his arms were wrapped around her back, bringing her closer to him. "And by the way, jackass, it's not 'Nightrun' anymore. From now on out, it's 'Dixon', ya understand!"

She smiled then and released him. He numbly allowed her to go and she turned around and walked off towards Lori and Carol hanging clothes on the line, shooting him a coy look over her shoulder as she did so. He watched her go for a moment, still numb with shock and it took him a moment to realize what she had said.

Tessa . . . Tessa Dixon . . . it had a nice ring to it, he had to admit . . .

* * *

"You and Daryl seem to be getting along better than you were!" Lori spoke as she moved to join Tessa by the cooking fire. Her friend was sitting in one of the chairs, Daryl's shirt in her hand as well as a sowing kit and quite a few buttons in her lap. Everything that needed to be done that day was done and they could now sit and rest their feet for a while before starting on dinner. Everyone except Tessa, however. She was about to sow every single minute button back onto Daryl's shirt. They had very few clothes and needed to take care of the ones they had which was the _only _reason she had gotten down on all fours in their tent and painstakingly picked up every tiny white button she had found. Your welcome, Daryl.

Tessa nodded and glanced up at her, a smile quirking her features as she did so. "Yeah . . . yeah we are."

"Did you tell him?" She nodded again as Lori pulled up a chair beside her.

"Yeah, I did – last evening when he and Ethan first came back. He was, uh . . . he was apprehensive at first - _angry _when I brought up Jenner and the paternity test. But afterwards, he was _so _relieved that I had told him. He was so relieved to know that Ethan is his and _not _Merle's and that the real reason I left him had nothing to do with him like he had thought!" She told her and Lori nodded and grinned.

"I told you, didn't I? I told you that he would -!"

"Walker!"

Everyone froze as Andrea called out the walker she currently had lined up in the scope of her rifle. As Rick shouted that Hershel wanted to be the one to deal with all the walkers that stumbled onto his land, Shane and T-Dog were already picking up weapons and making their way to the pasture the walker was shambling in from. Lori and Tessa got to their feet and Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Ethan's did too as he moved to join his mother, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Something is wrong . . . I can feel it . . ." She murmured as her heart picked up a steady beat and Ethan nodded in agreement.

"It's like . . . is that even a walker?" He asked and Tessa shook her head in bemusement as she ran over to Dale and Andrea by the Winnebago.

"Dale, let me borrow those binoculars!" She called and Dale nodded as she took them from him and immediately looked through them. The walker was indeed hunched over but he wasn't shambling. In fact, he looked to be walking pretty normally and seemed to be dragging something along the ground. When did walkers ever have the motor functions to drag something along the ground, much less _carry _something?

Then, it slowly dawned on Tessa. Her eyes grew wide with horror as she took the binoculars away and glanced as Dale and Ethan standing beside her. "Oh my God . . . oh my God, Dale, that's _Daryl_ -!"

She was interrupted by a gunshot splitting through the air and Daryl immediately flying backwards. Someone started screaming and it took Tessa a moment to realize that the screaming she had heard was coming from her.

It took even longer for her to realize that how quickly the three men hunched over Daryl lying on his back in the field was speeding towards her, could be attributed to how fast she was sprinting towards them. Tears blurred her vision as she ran full tilt, her eyes seeing Daryl and only Daryl. Andrea, Dale and Ethan were running as fast as they could behind her too but by no means were they catching up to her with all the adrenaline marching through her body like a damn army. She found herself praying to God that it was just a flesh wound – that it had just grazed him.

She found herself praying, as tears streaked down her cheeks, that Daryl Dixon was not dead.

* * *

_Earlier that day . . ._

He first saw the doll when he was up on the ridge. It was down in the creek, stuck against a log that had fallen over the water and he felt for sure that it was the doll that Morales's daughter had given her before they left – the doll that Sophia could not bare to be parted from but for a moment.

Damn doll had started it all too.

He hadn't rode in a while, which could have attributed to him not realizing that the horse was skiddish to begin with. He was also too absorbed in observing the surrounding tree line for any more signs of Sophia that he hadn't noticed the bigger than average rattler curled up in the horse's path. He hadn't rode in thirteen long damn years (ever since Tessa had horses when they were younger) or else he would have been able to keep his seat when the horse reared up at the sight and sound of the snake's rattle. But nope - he ended up going head over heels behind the horse and rolling like a damn ball down the side of the ridge.

He blacked out for a moment and when he came to, he found himself cussing himself out for not bringing Ethan along with him. Ethan would have seen the rattler curled up in their path and alerted him to it. His son could have saved him a Hell of a lot of grief.

He blacked out for a moment and when he came to, he felt a piercing, white-hot pain in his side. He gritted his teeth against the pain as his hand immediately flew to hold his side. He let out a very colorful, "Son a bitch!" when he felt the arrow that had pierced cleanly through his side. His head was also pounding from where he had hit it repeatedly on the rock and forest floor on the way down.

He was in a Hell of a lot of pain and was caught in one Hell of a shitstorm.

Holding his arrow-pierced side and gritting his teeth against the pain, he managed to slowly crawl his way to the shoreline. His head was bleeding from a cut on the side and as the seconds ticked by, his headache grew fiercer and fiercer. He had tried to protect his head as much as he could have on the way down, but it had thumped rather hard against the ground and rock a couple of unavoidable times. He wouldn't be surprised if he had a concussion or a fractured skull although a concussion was much more likely in his state.

Making a last ditch burst of speed for the sandy bank, he fell to his knees when he reached it and immediately took out his knife, where he cut off the sleeves to his shirt. Tying them together, he wrapped them as a makeshift tourniquet around his middle, just above the arrow. It wasn't clean and it certainly wasn't pretty but it would have to do. When he looked up at the ridge he was going to have to scale to get back to where he had been before he fell, he immediately felt his heart drop down into the pit of his stomach. He had fell from _that _height? How in the Hell was he still alive?

His heart pounded in his chest and he had no choice but to look down at the water slowing around his knees to keep his vision from narrowing any further. It wasn't just the arrow piercing cleanly through his side that kept his heart pounding so fast – it was the fact that he was in one Hell of a shitstorm and that – for once - he didn't know if he had the strength to make it back. He had _promised_ Tessa that he would but . . . he didn't know if he could. He was in a _Hell _of a lot of pain and just the thought of scaling anything made him wanted to vomit and his side to ache significantly worse than it already was.

But he'd do damn near anything to get back to her, though. They weren't just reunited weeks ago, only to be parted now - that shit wasn't about to happen! So, gritting his teeth against the pain, he got slowly to his feet.

But first, he had to find his crossbow.

* * *

Attempting to climb the side of that cliff had been agony – pure, unadulterated agony. With only Tessa's face in his mind to keep him going, he had pushed and pushed himself to continue to scale that cliff when all his body wanted to do was give up. Curse word after curse word flew from his lips like a prayer but he forced himself to keep going. Always, he forced himself to keep going.

But it had all be for naught, because now, he was lying on his back on the sandy bank of the creek after falling _again_, with Merle's beautiful fucking face leering above him.

"Why don' ya pull that arrow out, dummy? Ya could bind ya wound better."

"Merle . . ." Daryl couldn't help but grin and the older man grinned too.

"What's goin' on here? Are ya takin' a siesta or somethin'?" Daryl numbly shook his head.

"It's jus' . . . jus' been a shitty day, bro." Merle adopted a look of fake sympathy.

"Ah, look at the poor Darlina! Would ya like me to get ya, ya pillow? Maybe rub ya feet?" His shook his head. "I ain' Tessa, little brother, don' start thinkin' I am!"

"Fuck you!" Daryl spat back when everything started flooding back to him; everything having to do with Tessa and her leaving him . . . everything having to do with her and Merle. "Ya lucky ya able to show ya face to me right now!" Merle chuckled as he shook his head, his eyes lighting up in amusement.

"I don' think ya in the position to makin' any kind of threats, little brother! Ya the one fucked from the looks of it. All them years I spent tryin' to make a man of ya and this is what I get in return? I mean, look at ya! Lying in the dirt like those used rubbers that would appear on the barn floor whenever ya and that squaw would spend the night in the barn. Ya gonna die out here little brother. Ya gonna die out here and ya gonna leave Tessa and that boy of yours at the hands of those people. And for what?"

"A girl . . ." Daryl answered back but swallowed before he continued, his dry throat keeping him from saying anything more. "They lost a little girl . . ." Merle adopted a slightly interested look on his face.

"Ya mean to tell me that ya still got Tessa shakin' that cute little ass in front of ya and ya like little girls now?"

"Shut up . . ."

"'Cause I noticed that ya ain't lookin' out for old Merle no more!"

"Tried like Hell to find ya, bro . . . although I ain' sure I wanna find ya now, speakin' I know what ya done to Tessa."

"Like Hell ya did and since when did we ever let some gash get between us? Ya split, man, as soon as that little squaw and her brat came back into ya life. In fact, ya lit out the first chance ya got!"

"Ya was the one who lit out," Daryl corrected him. "All ya had to do was wait. We went back for ya, Rick and I," He nodded his head. "We did right by ya. And then when . . ." He swallowed away the dryness again. "When Tessa and Ethan came, I had to watch over them . . . make sure they stayed safe. They're my family, bro . . ."

A look of curiosity appeared on Merle's face then. "Is this the same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place? Forced me to cut off my own hand? Is this the same Tessa that fucked ya and then walked out on ya in the middle of the night without a damn word when ya were done? Ya his bitch now?" He asked and Daryl shot him a look.

"I ain' nobody's bitch but hers!" He snapped back, his voice gaining strength. "And she left cause of what ya and Dennis did to her. It had nothin' to do with me!" Merle's face became slightly angry.

"Ya a joke, that's what ya are – playing errand boy to a bunch of pansy-asses, niggers and democrats," He chuckled then. "I remember Tessa's pussy being good, but not good enough to where I'd allow her to lead me 'round by the balls like ya allow her to!" He chuckled then. "Ya nothin' but a freak to them, baby brother – nothin' more than redneck trash. That's all ya always been and that's all ya ever gonna be! And if Tessa wants to take ya last name like she's been wantin' to do, then she's dumber than I thought!" He nodded towards the general direction of the camp. "Hell, they're probably laughin' at ya behind ya back right now! That son of ya's included!" When Daryl didn't answer him, he continued: "I got a little news for ya, son: one of these days, they're gonna scrape ya off their heels like ya were dogshit. Tessa's gonna leave ya and take that boy of ya's with her and she ain' ever gonna look back."

Daryl felt himself fading again – his vision growing blacker and he felt Merle slap him none-too-kindly to keep him conscious. "Hey! They ain' ya kin – ya _blood_! Hell, if ya had any nuts in that damn sack of ya's, ya'd go back there and shoot ya pal Rick in the face for me! Now ya listen to me - ain' nobody gonna care 'bout ya 'cept me, little brother – ain' nobody ever will! You might think Tessa does but she don'. She only usin' ya like some damn sex toy like the first time, and to protect her from the big bad walkers that would chew that pretty little face off. And that kid of ya's . . . he might be ya blood and he might look up to ya and see his hero, I'll give ya that, but he's first and foremost a momma's boy – always has been! He'll do whatever that gash wants him to do and that includes getting' up and walkin' out on ya again!" He told him, his voice growing harder. "Now come on, get up on ya feet before I have to kick ya teeth in."

He felt his vision narrow again and he felt Merle shoving and kicking him a couple of times, telling him to get up. However, when he came to, he realized that it wasn't Merle who was kicking him but that it was a walker who was busy chewing on his boot. After kicking it in the face and beating his face in with the stick he had been using, he realized that another walker was making his steady, shambling way over to him. He rolled over and grunting in pain, pulled the arrow from his side before loading it in the crossbow and shooting it into the quickly approaching walker's head.

It was then, as he lay there catching his breath, that he knew he had to get back to Tessa.

And that he would do _anything_ to accomplish that.

* * *

Merle had been right. Pulling that arrow out had worked. He could move better now, although every movement still sent a white-hot knife deep into his side. He was halfway up the side of the cliff again when he heard that voice again – Merle's voice. He looked up at his voice and let out a groan of irritation, one that Merle laughed at.

"What's the matter, Darlina? That all ya got in ya? If it is, then does poor Tessa ever get satisfied in bed?" He shook his head, his joking demeanor disappearing. "Throw away that purse and climb!" Daryl shot him a mean look.

"I liked it better when ya was missin' . . ." He shot up at him and Merle laughed.

"Now come on, don' be like that. I'm on ya side!"

"Oh yeah - since when? Was it when ya were rapin' my girl in the barn with that shitass friend of ya's? Or when ya told me she died in a car accident comin' back from Atlanta?"

"I only did that to show ya how much a whore she was, baby brother – coming on my cock so sweetly!" He shook his head. "Ya were better off without that squaw and ya know it! Look at ya now – ya gone soft! Raisin' that kid is the thing that has turned ya soft. And Hell, I've been lookin' out for ya since the day ya were born, baby brother! Somebody had to look after ya worthless ass!"

"Ya never took care of me," Daryl snapped back as he struggling to gain an inch up the side of the cliff. "Ya talk a big game, but ya were never there! Hell, ya ain' here now. Some things never change."

"Well, I'll tell ya what – I'm as real as ya _chupacabra_!"

"I know what I saw."

Merle chuckled. "And I'm sure them shrooms ya ate had nothin' to do with it, right? Did ya tell Tessa that too when Dale was tellin' her that story? Did ya tell her that ya ate a bunch of funky lookin' mushrooms and _hallucinated _up ya chupacabra? Hell, that'll look really attractive to her!"

Daryl pinned him with an angry stare. "Ya best shut the Hell up!"

"_Or what_?" Merle immediately replied, his voice taking on a sarcastically frightened tone. "Ya gonna come up here and shut my mouth for me? Ya gonna come up here and teach me a lesson for what I done to Tessa? Ya gonna take my head back to her on a silver platter?" Daryl was steadily making his way upwards the entire time. "Well come on up and do it then, if ya think ya man enough. Hey!" He gave him a stern look. "Kick off those damn high heels son, and _climb_!" He laughed then and Daryl gritted his teeth as he kept climbing. "Ya know what? If I were ya, I'd take a pause for the cause, brother. 'Cause I jus' don' think ya gonna make it to the top -"

His voice abruptly cut off when Daryl finally reached the top and painstakingly pulled himself up. Groaning in pain and exhaustion, he got to his feet, his chest heaving. He looked around him and noticed that Merle had completely disappeared again. He let out a huff of breath and shook his head.

"Don' worry Tessa, I'm comin', baby - I'm comin'!"


	15. Chapter 15

**I know I haven't done a double chapter in a while but I kinda left the last one of a cliffhanger and I didn't want to leave it on that cliffhanger overnight, so here ya go, the next chapter until tomorrow. It is shorter than the last one too but after the near 6,000 words of the last chapter, I figured I'd let ya guys have a break with a short, smut-filled chapter ;)**

**As I stated previously, there is a rather . . . raunchy lemon in this chapter. However, speaking I haven't gotten a dislike about the love scenes yet, I'm assuming that you guys are fine with them lol.**

**Remember, reviews are freaking amazing!**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"Oh my God – oh my God, Rick, _is he alright_? For the love of God – is he _dead_?!"

They met halfway across the pasture, Andrea, Dale and Ethan skidding to a stop behind her seconds later. Tessa had seemed to reach them in record time and seemed to be close to hysterical whereas the others were doubling over, breathless. Daryl was being supported between Rick and Shane, his feet dragging behind them while Glenn walked alongside them carrying his crossbow. Her eyes continued to widen in horror as she took in Daryl's dirty, bloody and disheveled appearance, the two bloody gashes on his head and the beyond bloody wound at his side. Tears appeared in her eyes as Rick nodded at her.

"He's fine, Tess, it just grazed him!" He told her as he pinned an angry look on Andrea standing behind her, a worried look on her face. "He's just unconscious." Daryl's head lolled onto Rick's shoulder then and Tessa nodded tearfully, her hand flying to the two pendants hanging around her neck. Hershel and the others were running to them too as they continued on.

"But look at him! What the Hell happened? For God's sake, he's wearing _ears_!" Rick took one look at Hershel standing beside the gate leading to the pasture before he hastily grasped the ears and yanked them off from around Daryl's neck. He shoved them down his shirt as they kept going.

"Yes, well, let's keep that to ourselves why don't we?" He asked and everyone nodded as T-Dog called them back. His eyes were wide with shock as he held up the doll that Daryl had found by the creek.

"Guys, isn't this Sophia's?"

Everyone, including Tessa, turned a wide-eyed look onto the doll held aloft in T-Dog's hand and for a moment, they all shared the unanimous thought of what the Hell Daryl had gone through in the woods.

* * *

"I found it washed up on the creek bed right there," Daryl told them as he lay on his side on one of Hershel's numerous guest beds, holding a bloody ice pack to his stitched head as the older man stitched up the wound in his side. He pointed to a place on the map stretched out between him and Rick. Rick was kneeling by the bed's other side, his eyes scanning the map. Tessa stood at the foot of the bed, nervously chewing on a thumbnail as they talked. Rick turned back to look at Shane.

"It cuts the grid almost in half!" He spoke in halfway disbelief and Shane nodded as Daryl glanced at him.

"Yeah, ya welcome!" He shot back gruffly as he watched Hershel finish stitching up his side.

"How's he looking?" Tessa couldn't help but ask him, her voice small and ineffectual and Daryl turned his eyes onto her – the one woman that had given him the strength to get back aside from Merle's trash-talking and realized that he never wanted her to look so pale with worry again.

"Well, I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly," He answered her, his voice terse, not even answering her question and Tessa's lips pursed slightly as he directed his next question to Daryl. "You have any idea what happened to my horse?" He asked as he moved away to wash his hands in the nearby washbasin and Tessa took the opportunity to fly to Daryl's side, her eyes scanning the stitches on his side and his head as man replied to Hershel. Rick rolled up the map as Daryl spoke.

"Yeah, the one who almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the damn country!"

"We call that one Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly," Hershel replied in turn. Daryl was on his back, his eyes closing in bliss as Tessa cupped his face and held him close for a moment. Tears leaked out from underneath her closed eyelids. "I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask," He moved over to Rick then. "It's a wonder you people have survived this long," He turned his attention onto a tearful Tessa then. "He'll want to get that wound clean, lest it festers. There's a shower through there that he can use. He can also stay here for the night – I'll want to check him in the morning." Tessa nodded as he shot one last, lingering look on Daryl before leaving, Shane following close on his heels. Daryl grunted and with Tessa's help, managed to get to his feet.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna go take that shower right now . . ." He told her and she nodded as he moved slowly to the bathroom door, every joint in his weary body creaking like an old man's. Rick hung back a little ways, the both of them letting out barely contained sighs of relief when they heard the shower cut on seconds later.

"I cannot even _begin_ to fathom how relieved you are to have him back!" He told her and she nodded, her fingers flying to the two pendants hanging around her neck again. Tears remained in her eyes as she glanced at him.

"You do have no idea, Rick! For that split second I saw him fly backwards, I thought I had lost him and . . . and for a moment . . ." She trailed off then, almost unable to hold back her tears. "Almost for a moment, I think I felt my heart explode!" She shook her head, suddenly weary as she placed a hand to her head. "I should have made him take Ethan with him . . ." She muttered and Rick shook his head.

"You couldn't have known that things would work out like they did, Tess!" He told her as he took a few steps toward her, his hands moving to gently grasp her upper arms. "Who's to say that they both wouldn't have gone tumbling down that cliff? You might have lost Ethan or . . . or . . ." He trailed off then, seeing that his words weren't exactly being helpful and let out a small smile instead. "We have a nice big dinner downstairs. Why don't you come down and eat with us? It might make ya feel better."

Tessa smiled a small, thankful smile and shook her head. "Thank you Rick, but I think I'll pass for now. I want to stay with him for a while – make sure he's okay. Will you or Lori make sure Ethan gets back to his tent alright?" Rick smiled and nodded in understanding as he hugged her close for a moment.

"I'll send someone up with food later, okay? And we will, don't worry." Tessa nodded in thanks as he released her and then left, closing the door quietly behind him. Daryl returned from the bathroom a few moments later, wearing fresh clothes and let out a contented moan as he fell back on the bed. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep, although with one look at Tessa standing by the window, gazing pensively out the clear surface to the darkness beyond, all thoughts of sleep fled from his mind. Smiling, he gestured her over to him.

"Come here; I got to hold ya for a minute . . ." He told her and her eyes softened as she did as she was told. She crawled on the bed and fell on her side beside him, her head moving to lie on his chest.

"I'm so happy your back!" She murmured as one of her fingers absentmindedly traced one of the rougher, more ragged scars littering his chest, and he nodded as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, her face moving to bury in his neck.

"Ya were the only thing that kept me going," He replied, letting out a sigh of contentment as his nose was immediately flooded with the smell of gardenias that clung to every strand of her blue-black hair. He conveniently and smartly left out the apparition of Merle, knowing it would only make her worry even more. He was sure he had imagined him anyway thanks to the concussion Hershel said he most probably had. He felt like he could lay there forever, in that comfortable bed with Tessa lying in his arms, the smell of gardenias fogging his mind.

They lay there for a moment, just relishing being in each other's presence for a moment, before Daryl grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Ya still wearin' my shirt . . ." He trailed off and Tessa grinned and nodded.

"I am . . ."

"Still think that's gonna stop me from tearing it off of ya?" He asked and Tessa grinned and laughed as she sat up and gazed down at him.

"Daryl, baby, you just fell off a fucking cliff and impaled yourself in the side with your own arrow! I _don't_ want to hurt you any further than you already are!" She told him firmly, and Daryl shrugged.

"Ya well, ya are pretty resourceful Tess – I'm pretty sure ya could think of something . . ." He trailed off, cocking an eyebrow in amusement. Getting the hint, she grinned and upon biting down on her lower lip, reached over, where she pulled the sheet away from him before moving closer to him. She sat up on her knees and crawled over to him, where she could better remove his gray jeans. "See, I told ya . . ." Daryl spoke in a breathy voice as she slid his jeans and his boxers off and let them tumble off the bed to the floor. They landed in a pile by the foot-board and he let out a hiss as her warm hand wrapped around his silken length.

Daryl had just begun moaning quietly in bliss, his hips thrusting slightly when a small knock came on the door. The doorknob then rattled slightly and turned, signaling that someone was about to enter the room. The both of them almost jumped out of their skins at the sudden sound, grins of an almost adolescent level as Tessa's hand withdrew from his cock with the speed of lightening before collapsing onto her side beside him on the bed. The sudden missing warmth caused Daryl to let out a groan of irritation, one that Tessa couldn't help but giggle at. He had just had enough time to flip over onto his side to better hide his erection from whoever chose that time to disturb them, as Carol entered the room, a tray of food in her hands. Both of their eyes adopted looks of slight confusion, however, they cleared up when they saw the tray of food. Carol's eyes darted to Tessa lying on her side next to him and for a moment, she adopted a look on her fact that neither one of them could rightly decipher although Tessa could swear for a moment that it was jealousy or shock that she was there, lying in the same bed with him as wounded as he was.

"How are you feeling?" Carol asked him, her voice the same quiet, slightly cautious tone it always was, and Daryl nodded as he pulled up the sheet unnecessarily far up to his chin. Tessa fought the instinct to grin and laugh at the sight as she chewed on the corner of her thumbnail. He turned one of his impassive gazes up onto the woman.

"'Bout as good as I look, I suppose . . ." He spoke, his voice quiet and slightly gruff, and Carol nodded as she set the tray on food down on the nightstand beside the big bed, being careful not to let the tall glass of lemonade spill. Tessa saw one of his hands disappear underneath the sheet and his eyes connected mischievously with hers for the briefest of moments.

"I brought you some dinner. You must be starving . . ." He looked over his shoulder at the tray and indeed, the food did look good, although he wasn't exactly in the mood for food or sleep at that moment.

All his movements froze, however, when Carol bent down and placed a chaste kiss on his temple. He glanced up at her, the same look of stunned shock echoing in his eyes. "Watch out, I got stitches . . ." He murmured dumbly and Carol pursed her lips as Tessa fought to hold back her laughter.

"There's something you should know. You've done more for Sophia than her father did for her, her entire life." She told him and Daryl nodded and murmured:

"I didn't do anything that Rick or Shane wouldn't have done, so . . . don't mention it, I guess . . ." Carol smiled at the both of them as she moved to leave, a look of slight jealousy filling her eyes when she turned her eyes onto Tessa. Tessa smiled a small, kind smile, one that made the look of jealousy disappear in favor a much softer, almost apologetic one, as she left the room. It was then that Tessa allowed a grin to spread across her features.

"I think she has a crush on you Daryl . . ."

"Really . . .? I never noticed . . ." Daryl replied non-committedly as he moved back onto his back. She saw his hand moving almost imperceptibly from underneath the sheet and grinned as she swept the golden colored cloth aside. A look of playfulness appeared in her eyes.

"You bad boy - isn't that my job?"

Daryl couldn't help but grin. "Well, it _was _your job until we were rudely interrupted!" Tessa grinned as she moved closer to him, Daryl's hand immediately leaving himself to move behind his head. He winced when his fingers connected too harshly with his cut on his head but the stinging pain did little to quiet the hardness between his legs.

"I should probably get _back _to work then, shouldn't I?" She asked as her hand wrapped around his length and he immediately sucked in a harsh breath, his eyes darkening.

"Yeah . . . yeah, you totally should . . ." He breathed out as Tessa looked up to him, her eyes connecting with his. She gave him a grin before lowering her head and running her tongue slowly over the tip of him before taking more of him into her mouth.

He sucked in a sharp hiss and immediately bit down on his bottom lip. He let out another moan seconds later as he allowed his head to fall back against the pillows and his eyes to close. Daryl wanted her so much at that moment and her lips around his swollen member didn't help much! Then there was the fact that everyone else was in a perfect position to hear them downstairs in the dining room and that alone made what they were doing all that much headier. The only thing he was pissed at was the fact that he was so hurt that sex itself was out of the question.

And oh _God _did he get the sudden urge to see her riding the same cock her lips were wrapped around at that very moment!

He had almost died. He had almost lost her out in the woods and he had almost died in the woods. Damn right he wasn't in the mood for food or sleep!

Ignoring Daryl's growls of protest, Tessa continued to tease him with her tongue, swirling it around the sensitive head before finally encircling him with her lips and taking him fully into her mouth again, her tongue delving into the tiny, weeping slit at the tip, tasting he saltiness of him. He let out a sharp hiss, his hands moving to grasp the wooden headboard behind him until his knuckles turned white. She moved her head up and down slowly, running her tongue along the underside of his erection, her mouth a ring of fire that shot bolts of liquid-hot pleasure all up and down his member.

Not that much later, he saw stars and a blinding whiteness that exploded behind his closed eyelids. He let out a throaty groan out as he came in her mouth. When he opened his eyes, he gestured her to him. She got the hint and crawled up to him, where he kissed her deeply, his tongue filling her mouth deliciously, and he tasted himself on his tongue. They broke apart and he grinned.

"That was fuckin' amazin' Tess!" He breathed out and she nodded, a tad smugly.

"You damn well know it Dixon!" She replied as she moved to get off him. His hand wrapping firmly around her wrist kept her from going anywhere, though.

"Wait, where ya goin'?" He asked, genuinely confused, and she turned a confused look back onto him.

"I was going back downstairs with the others because you need to rest. Why?" A funny look appeared on his face then.

"Well, maybe 'cause I'd feel like an asshole knowin' that ya got me off but I didn't get ya off! After all, ya have been under as much stress as I have since I came back bruised and battered all ta Hell!" She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Daryl like I said, you just fell off a damn cliff and impaled yourself on your own arrow! I'm not gonna -!"

"Hurt me, yeah, I know!" A mischievous grin broke across his face then as he rolled his eyes. "But who says me eating you out is gonna hurt me? In fact, it might just do the opposite!"

Tessa felt a violent wave of desire race up her spine at his words, but managed to mask it. "Daryl, you can hardly shift positions without -"

"Are you _actually_ questionin' how I can go about doin' things, darlin'?" He interrupted her as one of his eyebrows rose in amusement. "Don' ya know me well enough to know that I put the 'skin' into 'there's more than one way to skin a cat?'" His voice was full of disbelief and Tessa grinned.

"Well how then do you propose going about it, Kojak?" She asked as she placed her hands rather imperiously on her hips, and Daryl grinned mischievously and shrugged. He scooted himself down on the bed and placed his clasped hands on his stomach. Her eyes widened in shock. "You want me to . . . _seriously_?" Daryl shrugged, a look of amusement flashing across his eyes.

"Why the fuck not? Now stop makin' excuses and hop up on here before I change ma damn mind!" Tessa's heart pounded in her chest as she slowly got undressed and moved to climb on the bed, where she kneeled above him. Daryl got more comfortable as Tessa's hands grabbed ahold of the wooden headboard behind him, her heart jumping into her throat. She felt his hands grasp her hips and she opened her mouth to speak, however, she was interrupted by him immediately burying his mouth in-between her legs. Immediately, her head fell back and her hips almost bucked out of his hands. She heard him chuckle huskily as she settled and relaxed once more, her breathing already tearing ragged from her chest. He watched her keenly as his callused fingers caressed her outer flesh and as his tongue flattened and lapped up her entire opening. It felt amazing - it felt as if all her nerve-endings were all in one place! Her body tensed and stiffened, only to relax at his next long lick, which both soothed and stimulated her. She had almost forgotten just how good Daryl Dixon was with his tongue!

Slowly - so slowly - Daryl licked her from top to bottom, again and again, varying the pressure and timing of his strokes, and Tessa felt the warmth of her arousal start to seep steadily from her. Each time he lapped it up greedily, growling in appreciation. Every so often he would stiffen his tongue and tease at her . . . her . . .

The thought never finished itself, for Daryl continued to use his lips and tongue to gently and slowly coax her body into an every-growing tenseness that no longer eased. Instead, it built up more and more until she was aching all over and craving that release that he promised her.

Daryl did not give her a release, however. He continued to slowly lick and tease her as he inserted two fingers inside her slick, tight passage and fixated his mouth over her sensitive nub. He suckled it earnestly and when it was fully inside his mouth he firmly pressed his tongue down and flicked it rapidly back and forth. His fingers bent inside of her and he thrust them faster and harder.

Tessa's breathing was now so ragged and desperate that she was nearly choking. Her body was suddenly completely out of her control. Involuntarily, she struggled and writhed on top of him, however, Daryl had apparently been expecting it. He held her firmly on top of him as she thrashed more and more violently.

He stopped a hair's breadth before she hit her peak and with her pupils dilated in desire and her chest heaving, he pushed her gently back, shaking his head. "Baby, I don' care how hurt I am – I have _got _to see you ride me!"

Nodding, she climbed on top of him moments later, her hands moving to rest on his well-built chest. His hands fell onto her thighs . . . she was poised so temptingly over him so that his head was brushing her entrance and he swallowed hard at the sight . . .

He tensed slightly underneath her palms, wanting so desperately to just thrust forward and bury himself inside her wet heat . . . he was straining and practically begging to do so, but he also knew from the look in her eyes that she wouldn't allow him to. This time, he was the one trapped, and he knew it.

Quickly, she lowered herself down onto him and stayed there for a moment, holding herself in place and panting, her body as flushed as his eyes were wild with want. Her hands slid along his chest as she angled herself just right on him - adjusting her position until she had him just where she wanted him. Her breasts just brushed his chest as she began moving again, extremely careful of the wound on his side.

It felt amazing! His breathing started to become faster and faster as she moved, his hands on her hips were setting the friction between their bodies to a deliciously heightened point. He felt a tightness gathering as he got closer and closer to the edge.

Without warning, he slid a hand between them, stroking her numb and that was all it took. Her groans entered into an immediate crescendo, culminating in a strangled cry of 'Daryl!' which, when combined with the tightening and clenching of her inner muscles around him was enough to push him over the edge as well.

Their bodies spasmed in a rhythm all their own against each other and, for just a moment, there was neither Daryl nor Tessa, but a screaming chorus of ecstasy.

He came inside of her, like he always did and held himself there so he could enjoy the moment as his hips quaked against hers. Eventually, she pulled herself off of him and collapsed onto the bed beside him, their chests heaving as their breathing tore ragged from their lungs. He grinned and laughed as his hand moved down to his stitched side. He let out a breath of relief when he felt that everything was fine – the stitches as clean as they were when Hershel first did them. Grinning, he turned to gaze at her.

"See, Tess, I'm fine! It'll take more than little ol' you bouncin' on top of me to break me!" She rolled her eyes as she half-heartedly pulled the sheet over them.

"And what if your stitches had come during open, huh? What would we have told Hershel then?" She asked, a stern tone to her voice, and Daryl simply grinned.

"Oh come on, don' tell me your regrettin' it! You weren' exactly complaining during and besides, I'd just tell him that I was gettin' somethin that he hasn't in years?"

The slap across his head he earned was so worth the comeback.

* * *

**And that, my lovelies, is how a baby is made ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Oh my God, I LOVED all the reviews I got - they were amazing! Especially you, jouetdedestin - your review made me laugh for a good five minutes. They were all muchly needed and I loved and cherished all of them! So in return, I wrote out a pretty decent chapter for you guys that I think you'll like. Its a lot calmer than the last few I wrote and focuses on a potential romance I'm thinking about working around in the next upcoming chapters, so please, read and review telling me what you guys think. Reader feedback is very important to me because it tells me in what direction I need to take the story next and especially with this they would be very appreciated.**

**And by the way, for those of you that see it coming, oh yeah, its coming ;)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"You know, honey, you guys should probably learn that you might need to keep quiet every now and then. . ."

Tessa couldn't help allow a furious blush to bloom across her cheeks as Lori moved to join her. She was walking towards the camp from the house in order to get the tent she shared with Daryl ready for when they were going to transfer him over, and Lori couldn't help but grin as Tessa glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eyes. "Were we really . . .?"

"_Oh_ yeah and pretty energetically too from what we heard! But don't worry, you guys decided to get into it when a majority of the people were done and gone, so don't be _too _embarrassed." Lori spoke with a grin and a laugh and Tessa grinned as well as she averted her eyes down to the ground underneath their feet. She gave a half-hearted little shrug.

"We didn't think that we were being _that _loud . . .!" She spoke and Lori laughed again.

"I can _guarantee_ you that Daryl knew but didn't say anything just out of shits and giggles! He seems like the type that could get into the whole . . . almost-getting-caught kinda thing -"

"Hey, what's up with Glenn and Maggie?"

Lori's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion when Tessa interrupted her, and turned her eyes onto Glenn standing not that far away from them. They watched as Maggie walked up to him with a basket of what looked like fruit and jerky in her hands. Soon, they were getting into a heated debate and Lori heaved a sigh. "Beats me - lover's quarrel?" She shook her head though, and quickly moved her gaze down onto the ground. "We've all be stressed, though . . ." She mumbled and Tessa nodded in agreement.

"Are they, though?" She couldn't help but ask and Lori shrugged.

"Most likely they are. They've been taking a good amount of trips into town lately and they _were_ gone pretty quickly last night after dinner . . . I wouldn't be surprised." Tessa shook her head in good-natured bemusement as they ducked into her tent. Lori watched as Tessa threw dirty clothes into the nearby clothes basket, clean clothes next to their bags and began straightening the sheets on the mattress. It wasn't too messy but it definitely needed straightening up. Daryl's crossbow remained propped up by the entrance and Tessa found herself shocked that Daryl hadn't been asking about it since he arrived back yesterday evening which resulted in Glenn handing it to Ethan in a manner that resembled someone handing a Priest a holy artifact they considered way too holy for they themselves to even think of holding. He was practically never seen without it and just the realization that he had never once asked about it, made her realize just how much pain and exhaustion he had been in.

"I bet Ethan's don't look any better. He's never been able to keep his room clean," She muttered a little in irritation before glancing up at Lori, her irritation gone in favor of curiosity. "Do you blame them, though? I mean, any day, at any time, any one of us could die – _including_ those that we could never think would, like Shane or Rick or . . ." She paused and swallowed heavily. "Or Daryl . . ." She shrugged then as she stood up and tossed their pillows onto the newly made up surface. She was still very angry at Andrea for jumping the gun like that and assuming he was a walker, and even herself for not pushing him to take Ethan with them yesterday. "I mean, Hell - once you think about it, it makes sense for them to be attracted to each other. I mean, they're the same age -"

"Ethan isn't any older to be of any type of competition to him . . ." Lori interrupted her with a grin and Tessa grinned as well and shot her a look.

"Damn, your right! I've been wondering lately why Maggie went for Glenn instead of Ethan and it just now occurred to me that, that was the reason why!" She shook her head and let out a laugh as she rubbed her face with her. "I'm such a horrible mother! I keep forgetting he's thirteen!" She admitted quietly before she glanced out the tent. He was hanging around Dale and T-Dog, helping to lower the overhang on the Winnebago. "He's so different from Carl, Lori – Hell, he's not even _built_ like a thirteen-year-old! I don't know if it's because Daryl's been taking him out with him whenever he hunts or looks for Sophia and he's been maturing because of that, or how I and Sam raised him, but he _does_ act more like Glenn's age! Granted, that's probably why they're such good friends opposed to him and Carl," She nodded in agreement. "But your right . . . if Ethan _was_ any older, then he probably would have given Glenn a run for his money! He's always been like Daryl in the fact he's always been partial to brunettes and Maggie's certainly a very pretty young lady -"

"I don't know about that, sweetie! I've seen him talking with Beth a lot lately," She spoke with a grin and a shake of her head and Tessa turned a surprised look on her best friend as they left the tent then. They heard the screen door of the house bang open and shut and turned their eyes upwards. Daryl and Rick were making their slow descent to the camp by then, Hershel observing them all the while, telling them to go slower and easier when they needed. Daryl was doing much better from the previous day but Tessa could tell by the tensing of his jaw that he was still in a lot of pain.

"You mean Beth as in Beth _Greene_?" Tessa asked, her eyebrows rising in curiosity and Lori laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah I know! It's kinda . . . kinda sweet actually and not that far-fetched if you think about it!" Lori shot her a look then, a look that Tessa immediately returned.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up. She's dating Jimmy, remember?" Lori nodded.

"I know and I realize that, but if you actually watched them interact for a moment, you'd see that their relationship is not exactly as solid as the Greene family would like to depict! And besides, her and Ethan are only four years apart in age and he's gonna grow up to be a good-lookin' boy, Tess – a _very _good-lookin' boy! Not-to-mention Daryl is his father, so he's gonna be reinforced with amazing hunting and fighting skills – as well as well as the ability to track," She shook her head. "Age can be set aside when good looks and survivalist skills are taken into account – at least in this day and age, anyway. Primal thought processes come back into account, I suppose . . ." Tessa nodded in agreement then, deciding to give the matter some more thought as Daryl and the others finally reached them.

"How's he doing?" She couldn't help but ask and Daryl shot her a slightly irritated look, one that she couldn't help but grin at. Her grin only made the look of irritation deepen slightly.

"I feel like horseshit! How do ya think I'm doin', Tess?" He snapped and Tessa laughed as she gestured to the tent.

"Inside on the mattress, Rick, I guess." Rick nodded as they ducked inside, Hershel moving to join her and Lori.

"Don't pay him any mind - he's doing much better since yesterday. His stitches are still clean and his body seems to be healing nicely. He's still in a good amount of pain but he's a fast healer, so I suspect he'll be on his feet by morning." Tessa nodded, her face growing expressionless.

"He had, an uh . . . _rough _childhood, if you get my meaning. He and his brother had to become fast healers in order to survive." Hershel nodded, pinning her with a stare that she immediately blushed under and Lori to grin.

"I would also postpone any further sexual activities until those stitches come out. If they come open, it could be a very bad thing, you understand, Mrs. Dixon?" Tessa grinned and laughed as she shook her head.

"It's Tessa, Hershel – Tessa Nightrun. I'm not a Dixon – not yet, anyway. We're uh, we're not actually married," She nodded to Ethan still standing by T-Dog and Dale and who was now taking a peach from the basket Glenn was taking around to everyone. "But Ethan is our son, though. He's a good kid – he can help out in any way you need him to." Hershel nodded as he glanced behind him at the youngest Dixon, his eyes scanning him for a moment.

"How old is he?"

"Thirteen." She answered with no hesitation and they saw Hershel recoil a little in shock. He nodded, though, nonetheless, as he turned back around to face her. Her body immediately tensed at the look in his eyes, to the point where Lori had to settle a calming hand on her back.

"I've seen him talking to Beth, although I've had no idea that he's just thirteen!" Tessa nodded.

"He's very mature for his age – always has been. He's best friends with Glenn and despite his anger issues, Daryl _is_ his father, so he can more than take care of himself," She pinned him with a look in turn, a look that he slightly balked at seeing. "Like I said, though, Ethan is a very good kid and considering that he is our only one, it is understandable that I and Daryl are very protective of him. I'll talk to him about Beth, Hershel, you have my word, but also taking into consideration his father's anger, I suggest that if there is any problem with my son that arises, you take it up with me. _Is_ there going to be a problem with my son, Mr. Greene?" She asked with a raised brow, and Hershel gazed at her for a moment before allowing a small smile of respect to appear on his face. He shook his head then.

"No, no I don't think so, Tessa. Thank you, though, for giving this matter the brevity it deserves," He nodded. "And yes, I think I will bring any problems with your son that arises, to you, although, I doubt there will be any. Ethan does seem like a very mature young man – with a very good head on his shoulders," He moved to go but paused for a moment. Rick had exited the tent around that time too and paused when he saw Tessa and Hershel in conversation. Lori shot him a reassuring smile and he nodded and relaxed before moving to the Cherokee, where Shane was already lingering.

"You must understand though, that Beth is my _daughter -_!"

"And Ethan is my _son_!" She interrupted him before a soft look appeared in her eyes. "I know very well what having a child in this day and age encompasses, Hershel. I understand completely your protectiveness of her," She paused for a moment. "I'll talk to Ethan." Hershel nodded and thanked her one last time, giving Lori a nod of his head as well before he turned and walked off. Lori let out a low whistle as she turned to face her friend.

"Damn, that could have gone bad fast!" She remarked and Tessa shook her head.

"I'll talk to Daryl and see what he thinks, although I doubt it's gonna be anything adversely different from my views. I'll have to have a conversation with Ethan, although I doubt his conversations with Beth were anything but friendly. Despite what Hershel thinks, you _can_ raise a son to think with something other than his hormonal cock!" She spoke in irritation and Lori let out a bark of a laugh as Tessa moved past her to duck inside the tent. Daryl glanced up at her from his spot on his side of their bed when she entered and nodded to the spot she had been standing seconds earlier.

"What was that 'bout?"

Tessa sighed and shook her head as she sat at the end of their bed. "Ethan's been talking with Beth," She began and Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion.

"You mean Beth as in Beth Greene?" He asked and she nodded, a grin coming on her face at him saying the exact same words that she had.

"I doubt it's anything other than him just being friendly. It might also be him harboring a small crush on her, but you know Hershel! Every male under the age of twenty-three is gonna be looking at his daughters with sex on the brain and every male under the age of twenty-three needs to be pushed away with a battering ram!" Daryl laughed.

"He's too old-fashioned," He muttered, a note of slight disdain in his voice. "I guarantee ya that if we had other single men in our camp, that they'd be lookin' at her too, regardless of age," He shook his head. "Better not stir up shit with ma boy, tho' . . . we'd have words . . ."

"I told him I'd talk to him and even if I didn't tell him that, I'd still talk to him. Ethan needs to know that Beth is somewhat off-limits, even if it is as something as harmless as a crush -!"

Daryl's scoffing in amusement interrupted her. "A crush being harmless? There ain' no such thing!" He turned a grin onto her. "The last time I cared to remember back to our younger days, which – granted – are not that much - what _we _had were crushes on each other. Look where they went!" He nodded in the general direction of Ethan. "Look what spawned from 'em!" Tessa grinned and laughed as she nodded.

"I know, I know, Daryl, and something tells me that we won't hear the last of Hershel sprouting off shit about Ethan and Beth, which is why I told him to bring any problems he had with him to me and not you -"

"Smart thinkin' Tess. I'd give him _more_ than a piece of my mind -!"

"But nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to have a talk with him, ya know . . . to set boundaries. You should too, though. What I say to him could go in one ear and out the next - you, however . . ." She shook her head. "He looks up to you, Daryl – he respects and admires you! He might listen to you more than he would me." She continued and a grin appeared on her face as she leaned back and pecked him on the cheek. "You gonna be alright here without me?" He nodded.

"I'm gonna be _bored_ outta ma mind without ya here, but yeah; I guess I'll be good. I'll just . . ." He looked around and gave a sigh of slight disappointment and irritation as he reached down and picked up a lone crossbow bolt. "Lay here and poke holes into shit with ma arrow . . ." Tessa laughed and rolled her eyes as she moved to place another kiss on his cheek. He expertly moved his head at the last minute, though, so that her kiss would meet his lips and she sat there and kissed him for a moment before a soft coughing interrupted them. Tessa pulled herself away from him and turned around at the waist, only to find Andrea hanging sheepishly around the entrance. Tessa tensed and the blonde-haired woman immediately threw up her hands in surrender. Daryl chuckled and placed a calming hand on her lower back.

"I know, I know, you probably don't want to see me!" She spoke with a wry laugh and Tessa nodded.

"What could possibly have given you that idea?" She snapped back, her eyes darkening with anger slightly, and Daryl chuckled again as he gestured her inside.

"Tess, calm down – I'm alive ain' I?" He asked her, his voice light and teasing and she pursed her lips and nodded as Andrea moved further inside, a relieved look appearing in her eyes as she handed one of Dale's books to him.

"It's not that great, but . . ." She trailed off with a shrug as he took it and flipped through it. The Case of the Missing Man . . . Daryl thought there was some hidden irony there but was in too much pain and exhaustion to think any further about what it was. Tessa couldn't help but let out a little laugh at the title too, however, and he shrugged.

"What, no pictures?"

Andrea sighed and shook her head. "I'm so sorry – to the _both_ of you! I feel like shit -"

"Yeah, you and me both!" He interrupted her as he shifted slightly so that he could move his pillow further upwards to make himself more comfortable.

"I don't expect either one of you to forgive me anytime soon," She continued on, meeting both their eyes with her pleading ones. "But if there's _anything_ I can do -"

"You were trying to protect the group . . ." Daryl interrupted her, his voice coming out soft and gentle and Tessa had to fight to stop the shiver of wanton desire that raced up her spine at his words. She loved that voice – _absolutely _fucking _loved _it - she always had! Daryl grinned, letting her that he did indeed notice, but continued on nonetheless as if nothing had happened. "Yeah, we're good; don' worry 'bout it," He glanced at Tessa, however, a look of amusement appearing in his eyes. "However, jus' 'cause we're good, doesn' exactly mean ya good with Tessa!" Andrea nodded, as did Tessa. She jumped, however, when she felt Daryl's fingers skating lightly up her back underneath her shirt as Andrea shot him a thankful look and got to her feet, where she moved towards the entrance to the tent. "But, hey," He called her back and she turned around. His expression had entered a dangerous territory and a shiver of slight apprehension raced up her spine. "You shoot me again, ya best pray I'm dead. Though, that might not exactly be what ya want . . . Tess can be a regular Michael Meyers with a knife!" He shrugged. "Consider it in her genes . . ."

Tessa grinned as Andrea moved away then and she turned her eyes onto Daryl, who had regained a look of amusement and slight suggestiveness in his eyes again. "Ya sure _ya _gonna be fine without me?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes and nodded as she leaned down and kissed him for a moment. When they broke apart, it was rather reluctantly and she got to her feet with an exasperated sigh.

"I guess I gotta go talk to Ethan now," She turned to him. "Wish me luck?" He shrugged.

"Good luck, I guess, tho I'm not exactly sure why ya doin' this to begin with. Our son ain' stupid, Tess – he knows how to handle himself." He told her and she nodded.

"I know, just . . ." She heaved a sigh. "Let's just say it's to give me some peace of mind, okay?" He nodded as she left then. She felt Andrea's eyes lingering on her and she shot her a look as she made her way to Ethan. T-Dog was gone, although Dale was still there and she gave Dale a soft look as she joined them.

"How's Daryl?" He asked and she nodded.

"He's doing well, thanks for asking. Still in pain and still healing, but he should be up and about by tomorrow," She gave Ethan a searching look then. "Can I talk to you?" A look of surprise entered his eyes then but he nodded nonetheless.

"Sure momma - what about?" He asked and she gestured for him to follow her. He did and when they were a safe distance away, she turned around to face him.

"Be careful around Beth," She spoke with a bluntness that immediately made him recoil and a look of confusion to enter his eyes then.

"W-what are you -?" Tessa nodded as she interrupted him.

"You heard me, Ethan Dixon! Be careful around her, okay? Hershel isn't too happy you've been talking to her – especially now that he knows you're just thirteen - and I want to make sure that you know enough to not do anything stupid!" He let out a laugh then as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Mom, we're just friends! All our conversations have been just friendly, I swear!" He replied and she nodded.

"I know that, you know that – _everybody_ knows that. Everybody _but _Hershel," She smiled a small smile then. "_Do _you like her?" A slight blush bloomed across his face then as he looked away.

"Well . . . maybe, I just . . . she looked like she needed a friend and I . . . I don't . . ." He heaved an irritated sigh then that was the spitting likeness of Daryl as he pinned her with an equal stare. "_Mom_, do we _need _to have this conversation – _at all_?" Tessa grinned and laughed as she pulled him into a hug.

"That's fine; you don't need to say anything more. I have asked Daryl to talk to you too, though, so be aware that you'll probably get something from him too the next time you guys are out somewhere," She gave him a playful wink then as they broke apart. "You two can talk awkwardly of this together!" Ethan rolled his eyes then and let out another exasperated "Mom!" but grinned nonetheless as he turned around to move back towards Dale, Tessa lovingly brushing her hand along his shoulder as he did so. She watched him go for a moment before being approached by Glenn holding the basket of peaches. She smiled kindly at him as he approached and his apprehensive, slightly fearful expression calmed somewhat. "Glenn, honey, is there anything wrong?" She asked with a concerned furrowing of her brow as she picked two peaches out from the basket, one for her and one for Daryl. He shook his head and a stricken look appeared in his eyes then as he fervently shook his head.

"N-No – nothing's wrong! What would make you think that anything's the matter?" He asked, his voice coming out high-pitched and fearful and she opened her mouth to say anything, however, he bit his lip and scurried off to the next person before she could say anything. Eyebrows still furrowed in confusion, she spun around on her heels and moved towards her and Daryl's tent. Carol was cooking breakfast at that moment, though, and must have been cooking bacon or sausage, for the smell of the roasting meat immediately made Tessa's stomach roil uncomfortably. She immediately felt bile rise up in her throat as she spun around again and opted to go the long away around to get to their tent.

She'd do anything to keep herself from vomiting.


	17. Chapter 17

**Yes, I hate to inform you dear readers that this chapter is one of the dreaded filler chapters. A big event is going to happen in the next chapter and I guess I wanted to give one more AU-esque chapter before hopping back into the televised drama. **

**There is also a little teensy tiny half lemon in here. I know I've been doing a lot of those lately but after this one I'm not really planning on another one for a while (maybe not even until the next part which encompasses season three) so I suppose this is somewhat of a apology lemon lol**

**Remember, read and enjoy and that reviews are definitely welcome :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Tessa was on her way back to her and Daryl's tent (the long away around to avoid the completely nauseating smell of cooking meat) when she stumbled upon a very heated discussion encompassing Rick, Lori, Dale and Carl sitting a little ways off from the group of adults, an ashamed look on his slightly pinched face. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she moved to join them.

"I know this is probably none of my business, but what's going on here?" She asked and Lori heaved a sigh as she turned a frustrated gaze onto her friend.

"Thank God your here, maybe you will agree with me! Carl lied to Dale in order to get into the RV and get a gun." She told her and Tessa's eyebrows rose in shock.

"Oh my God, are you serious?" She asked as she glanced behind her at Carl and Lori nodded as Shane spoke up.

"Look, he asked me to teach him how to shoot a gun earlier. Now, this is not my decision, nor is my call, but if you guys want me to, then I'll be happy to teach him!"

"I don't want him interacting with a gun – _period_, so please do not make me out to be the unreasonable one here! Rick?" She asked as she turned her attention onto her husband standing beside her, who only heaved a sigh.

"I know, and I have my concerns too, but -"

"There's no 'buts' about it - he was just _shot_!" She interrupted him in disbelief. "He's just back on his feet and he wants a _gun_?"

"It's better than him being afraid of 'em." He told her and Tessa couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"He's right, Lori. I know this isn't my place, but he's right. I'd rather Ethan know about guns and know how to work them and know not to be afraid of them, then him walking around unprotected!" She spoke with a shrug and Rick nodded.

"There are guns in camp for a reason. He should learn to handle them safety! After all, Ethan does!"

"Carl is _not_ Ethan, Rick!" Lori hissed to him, a fiery look appearing in her eyes. "Ethan is thirteen but acts Glenn's age! His father is _fucking_ Daryl Dixon for God's sake! I think half of what that boy has, is thanks to his genes alone - no offense, Tess!" She immediately added and Tessa shook her head and put up her hands.

"No offense taken, Lori!"

She shook her head then. "I'm sorry, but I don't want my kid walking around with a gun!"

"How can you defend that, though?" Rick asked. "You can't let him just walk around without protection!"

"He's as safe as he'll ever be right here!" She retorted vehemently and Rick nodded in slight disbelief and she quickly moved to smooth things over before they got too heated. "Look, everything you're saying makes perfect sense. It feels wrong, though! I mean, I didn't feel good about him following you out into the woods, and I wish I had said something. I should have gone with my gut."

"He's growing up - thank God!" Rick immediately replied, his voice becoming more impassioned the longer this discussion lasted. "We've got to start treating him more like an adult!"

"Then he needs to _act_ like one!" She turned a fiery gaze onto her son. "He's not mature enough to handle a gun!"

"I'm not gonna play with it, mom!" Carl spoke up then as he got to his feet and moved over to them. An impassioned gaze filled his eyes then too. "It's not a toy and I realize that. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I want to help look for Sophia. I want to help to defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun," He sighed and shook his head then. "I know I'm not Ethan - I know I won't ever be Ethan! But he's my friend too and I . . . I look up to him. I want to do what he does - I want to go hunting and help look for Sophia - I want to help in the way that he does!"

Lori and Tessa shared a slightly surprised look as Rick began talking again. "Look, Shane is the best instructor I know - he's taught kids younger than Carl!" Rick told her as Lori's gaze slid from Tessa's to Rick's. Tessa smiled a small, comforting smile and Lori pursed her lips as she finally gave an acquiescing nod.

"Fine . . . _fine_!" She moved over to Carl then and grasped him by the chin, where she forced their gazes to connect. "But he _will _be responsible about this! If I hear anything about how you are not taking this seriously, you will lose this opportunity, do you understand?" She told him and he nodded.

"Yes, mom I will."

"Yeah, he _will not _take this lightly!" Rick added in a warning tone and Carl nodded again as he moved past his mother to join his father. The two of them alongside Shane, moved over to the cars currently being surrounded by Patricia, Jimmy, Beth and Andrea. Lori joined Tessa as they saw Beth sneak Ethan a shy look over her shoulder. He returned the look with a slight wave before turning around and ducking into the closest tent which also happened to be the one that currently held Daryl.

"I think Ethan's crush isn't exactly one-sided . . ." Lori murmured and Tessa shook her head in slight disbelief.

"He's _thirteen _Lori! Why in the Hell would she want a thirteen-year-old when she has a guy closer to her age – a guy like Jimmy?" Lori shrugged.

"It's like I said earlier – Ethan doesn't exactly act and look like a thirteen-year-old should! Not-to-mention he's a good looking kid and he can take care of his own. For a young girl that stuck in this shithole of a world, why _wouldn't_ those traits be desirable?"

Glenn shooting Shane the excuse of polishing spark plugs with Dale brought them out of the conversation they had been in. Both of them weren't exactly mechanically inclined but they knew better than to think 'polishing spark plugs' was a good excuse to use whenever you were trying to get out of doing something. Shane accepted the excuse and nodded nonetheless as he closed the back of the car and got in the driver's side with Andrea. The rest of the people piled into the Cherokee and they watched as they drove up the drive. Tessa took that moment to gesture to the two peaches she still had in her hands.

"I should probably one of these back to Daryl . . . I've had 'em for a while!" She spoke with a slight laugh, and Lori nodded as she squeezed her friend on the shoulder comfortingly before moving off in the direction of Glenn. Tessa sighed and moved towards the tent, thankful that the smell of roasting meat was no longer carrying on the breeze towards her.

"Look, I know this prolly ain' what ya wanna hear, but ya gotta be careful, ya know?"

Tessa stopped dead when she heard Daryl's low voice and knew that he was talking to Ethan. Her grip tightened ever-so-slightly on the peaches in her hands and her ears strained to hear the conversation taking place as she moved to stand where she could peer into the tent without being seen. "It don' matter if ya even like her beyond nothin' but a-a _one-night stand_, ya just – ya gotta be careful - especially if her father is sniffin' 'round ya."

"She's got a boyfriend, deddy."

She could see Daryl shaking his head. "Normally, I would say that wouldn' matter, but with Hershel, who's incredibly old-fashioned, I suppose it does," He turned a careful, searching gaze onto Ethan then. "Ya _do _like her?"

Ethan shrugged. "I guess . . ." Daryl laughed.

"Guessin' ain' nothin', Ethan. Guessin' will get ya killed in this day and age. Do ya like her or not?" Ethan shrugged again and heaved a slightly irritated sigh that Daryl simply smiled at.

"Well, since ya forcin' it down my throat, then yes, I suppose I do," He shrugged, his voice laced with slight irritation. "Not that I can't do anythin' about it! I'm thirteen and she's seventeen – she has a boyfriend -!"

"Yeah, well boyfriends can die," Daryl interrupted him with a grin and Ethan turned a curious, slightly shocked gaze onto him – a gaze that Daryl hurriedly backtracked at. "Look, I ain' sayin' go out and kill the kid – God no I ain' sayin' that! What I am sayin' is that people die every day 'cause of the walkers and of disease and of starvation! No one's immune anymore - especially little wet-behind-the-ears boyfriends!"

Tessa felt her teeth grit in anger and she chose that time to march into the tent. She stopped and pinned Daryl with an angry glare, a glare that immediately made Daryl nod to Ethan. "I think that's ya cue to get!" He told him and Ethan nodded hurriedly as he got to his feet and darted from the tent. She waited until she was sure that he was out of earshot before speaking and even then, her voice was quiet and angry.

"I told you to _talk _to him – not _enable _him!" She hissed through tightly gritted teeth and Daryl adopted of look of disbelief on his face.

"Who the Hell is _enabling _him?" He asked and Tessa let out a bark of a laugh.

"Who the Hell is – are you _shitting_ me, Daryl? You just told him that her boyfriend can _die_! I can successfully call that enabling!" Daryl let out a laugh.

"Ya yell at me for tellin' him the truth – for tellin' him somethin' that he already knows? _Everyone _can die any day, Tessa! Ya can die, Rick can die – Hell, even _I've_ almost died! Excuse me for tellin' him the damn truth! And besides, it's not like I told him to go out and put a damn bullet in the kid's head!" Tessa shook her head.

"That's not -!"

"Then what are ya tryin' to say, Tess?" He interrupted him, a note of anger appearing in his voice and as his hands rose in disbelief. "Our talk_ might not_ have been the conventional 'father-son' one that he might have had with that 'Yankee' ya was married to, but when have I _ever _been called conventional?"

She balked then, realizing that what she had accused him of, _had_ been somewhat unreasonable. Why had she jumped the gun so readily?

Daryl continued when she didn't say anything for a while, his voice still carrying the same 'irked' tone but was a lot softer: "And I realize that I wasn' exactly the one who helped ya raise him, Tess, however, for someone whose only a few weeks to a month into this, I like to think that I'm doin' a pretty good job so far!"

She couldn't help but nod in agreement as her mind settled onto deeper things – more present things. He was right. She could never buck up enough to raise her son through this without him and felt bile rise up in her throat again that she took a moment to push down as she shook her head. She shouldn't be surprised. She hadn't had any breakfast yet, however, the smell of roasting meat made the hunger pangs go away with a vengeance. "Your right . . . I don't know why I jumped up your ass so quickly. I just . . ." She shook her head. "I don't know," She smiled then as she tossed him one of the peaches she had been holding. He caught it easily and gazed at her questioningly for a moment as she moved to take a seat on her side of the air-mattress. "Glenn's been handing these out all day. Maggie brought them for him . . ." As a show of good faith, she took a bite out of hers and the taste alone almost made her want to sing. Compared to the smell of the cooking meat, it was Heaven! She hadn't tasted a peach in so long and a look of amusement crossed Daryl's face as he took a bite out of his.

"I take it its good?" He asked and Tessa nodded as she wiped the juice away from her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Oh yeah, it's phenomenal!" She replied and he nodded as he took another bite.

"I'm glad ya finally eating somethin'. Ya haven' been eatin' lately and in fact, ya startin' to look a little peaked," She stopped mid-chew on her second mouthful.

"You've . . . started to notice I'm not eating?" She spoke slowly as she chewed and swallowed the mouthful of peach, and he nodded.

"Believe it or not, a guy notices these kinds of things, especially when they have to do with his woman. That and food is kinda important in this day and age. Ya need to grab what of it ya can," He turned slightly worried gaze onto her. "Is anythin' the matter, Tess?" She shook her head but got to her feet nonetheless. She suddenly felt sick again – very sick.

"N-No, but I gotta go. I just remembered that I'm supposed to be helping Lori and Carol with the clothes!" She handed him her peach before bending down and quickly grabbed up the basket of dirty clothes sitting beside her. She smiled tightly at him. The look of confusion on his face was practically comical; however, she wasn't exactly focused on laughing at that moment. She was trying to focus on a way to get out of there without tossing her cookies for the umpteenth time that week and alarming Daryl at the same time. "I-I'll be back in a minute, okay? The laundry never takes long to do!" She said with a short laugh before she quickly turned and ducked out of the tent. She heard Daryl call her name in worry but she ignored him as she moved behind the tent and walk towards the clothesline. Thankfully no one was around and noticed when she suddenly veered off the path. She reached the other side of the blessedly clear Winnebago before she dropped inexplicably to her knees, vomiting as she did so. The basket of dirty clothes dropped onto its side, spilling articles on the dusty ground as she heaved and heaved. She hadn't eaten a lot in the past few days which explained the lack of . . . any real substance to the vomit other than acid and water.

Groaning, she slowly sank back on her ass with her back to the Winnebago when she was done. She closed her eyes and allowed her head to fall back against the RV with a metallic 'thunk'. She had a reason for why she thought she was so sick all to Hell, but like a lot of things in this new world, she hoped and prayed that it wasn't true. That was the last thing she needed in this world – the last thing _Daryl _needed in this world! He was older now – he wasn't the same twenty-something young man she remembered. He didn't have the energy or the time to chase after . . . after . . .

She forced her thoughts to end abruptly there. She didn't need to think like that. There was still the slim chance that she wasn't and just had a small stomach bug that no one else in the camp had been unlucky enough to catch yet. There was a completely normal, non-life-shattering reason as to why she was suddenly throwing up every morning and especially to the smell of roasting meat!

She swallowed hard then, wincing at the tangy, bitter taste of vomit that still hung in her mouth, and got shakily to her feet. She stooped and gathered the clothes back into the basket before picking it back up and heading back to the clothesline. She dropped the basket off with the rest of the dirty clothes that people had left there in anticipation of wash day the next day, and moved over to the tent Lori and her family shared. Her friend was sitting on a chair out in front of the tent, shakily stitching one of Carl's shirts that had mysteriously gained a tear in the fabric. Tessa noticed she was shaking almost as bad as she was and hoped it wasn't anything big – not her level of big, however, if it came out as her suspicions being correct.

"Hey Lori . . .?"

Lori jumped slightly at Tessa's slightly shaken tone and looked up when she saw her walking towards her, a slightly nervous look on her face. She smiled a tight smile and nodded. "Hey, honey, what do you need?" Tessa bit down on her bottom lip for a moment.

"You're the . . . you're the only woman I would ever think would ever carry something like this around, but you wouldn't _happen _have an uh," She swallowed hard. "A p . . . preg . . ." She trailed off but Lori immediately understood. Her eyes widened slightly but she silently nodded and stood, where she ducked into her tent. She returned moments later and snuck her friend the white box she had in her hand.

"I got Glenn to get me a few when he was in town the other day. Ya know . . . just in case . . .!" She spoke and Tessa nodded in understanding and shot her a thankful look. Lori returned the look as she pulled her into a hug. "Good luck, honey." Tessa nodded as they parted. She stealthily stuck the box up under her shirt as she made her way out of camp, up to the crumbling chimney in the distance. There, on top of the Winnebago she could still be seen, however, not what she was planning on doing.

"Oh hey – one minute, Tess, please?"

Tessa turned around at Lori's voice and she immediately noticed when the taller, thinner woman shoved her hands down into the front pockets of her jeans and turned a nervous gaze onto her. "Yeah, Lori, what do you need?" Lori swallowed heavily.

"You'll . . . you'll tell me if you are, won't you?" She asked and Tessa's eyes softened as she nodded.

"Lori, you'll be the first I tell, regardless - I promise!"

* * *

"Oh come on . . . _come on_ . . .!"

Tessa couldn't remember a lot about that day so far, so embroiled in what she was currently going through to care much. However, she did remember sitting there on the broken, crumbling edge of the brick chimney until her ass went numb, and as her leg jittered up and down and until she was gripping the crumbling edges of the chimney until her knuckles turned white. The little plastic pregnancy test, which was lying on her knees, was the only thing with her at that moment – the longest two Goddamn minutes of her life.

She reached over and upon glancing at the wristwatch she had nicked from the Winnebago and finding that she had just only a minute to go from the two the box told her to wait, slowly released the breath she had been holding in. The birds were no longer singing in the trees around her anymore – Hell, it was like the entirety of nature had fallen completely silent, but Tessa hardly registered it. She was looking everywhere _but_ the pregnancy test.

She opened her eyes again after another moment of waiting and reached over to check the wristwatch again. She gave a helpless little whimper when she saw that her seemingly endless wait was finally over. Shakily, she set the wristwatch back on the crumbling brick wall beside her and closed her eyes as she picked up the tiny little stick of plastic lying on her jeaned knees. Sucking in another breath she slowly let it out before she opened her eyes.

Tears immediately filled her eyes when she saw the result glaring blindingly up at her from the tiny white plastic stick and she took it in her curled fist before closing her eyes. She let out a sob as she wrapped her arms around her and started rocking back and forth, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want to look at the tiny little computerized 'positive' sign glaring up at her from the pregnancy test in her curled fist. Nor did she want to think of the future – how dangerous it would be. Gone were her days of giving birth in a safe, sanitized hospital with epidurals and centuries old doctors who had been delivering babies practically all their lives. No . . . no, now she would be giving birth in a ditch somewhere, very bloodily and in extreme pain with likely someone who had never delivered a baby in their lives and not knowing whether she would live to see past the birth.

Or not knowing whether her baby would live . . .

Her heart twisted almost painfully in her chest then and it took her a minute to realize that, _that_ was the real reason why she was so anxious and terrified of telling Daryl that she was pregnant – why she had been so anxious and terrified of telling him ever since she got her first signs. She wasn't terrified to tell him because he could grow angry and walk off – he would have done that ages ago with the whole Merle incident!

No . . . no, she was terrified of telling him because she was terrified of placing a dead baby in his arms nine months later . . . the baby that he had wanted with her so badly.

* * *

"Oh honey, how long have you known?" Lori asked Tessa when she finally returned to camp later that afternoon as evening started to loom closer on the horizon, her eyes red and puffy from crying and her mind and body exhausted. Lori's eyes grew wide with shock when she saw her, and Tessa weakly shrugged her shoulders and sniffed as she took a seat beside her.

"You want the God honest truth, Lori?" She asked and then heaved a sigh when she nodded. "I've probably known for a few weeks now, I just . . . didn't want to admit it to myself. I didn't want to think it was possible!" Lori's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I was lucky to have conceived Ethan, you know. I wasn't born very fertile for whatever reason and I grew up thinking that I would never ever be able to have a child without medical help. My life had been in shambles before I finally resigned myself to being a motherless woman all my life," She shook her head and gave a little sarcastic laugh then. "I guess . . . I guess when it came to Ethan, I was just lucky enough to have a sexual relationship with the one man who was fertile enough for Mother Nature to look past my infertility, huh?"

"What about this one?" Lori asked, gesturing to the positive pregnancy test that Tessa had so recently passed her, and Tessa shrugged again.

"It was stupidity on my part mostly. I thought that by taking my age and combining it with my infertility, it made the conceiving of a child . . . close to damn near impossible levels!"

"Well, my doctor did tell me when me and Rick were trying for Carl, that if you want a foolproof way of conceiving a baby, then you have sex every single day!" Lori chuckled before pinning Tessa with a sympathetic look. "And honey, I'm sorry, but you and Daryl aren't exactly known for your restraint when it comes to each other – especially these last few days! Hell, I teased you about this morning, remember?" Tessa laughed and nodded as a tear slid down from the corner of her eye.

"I know, I know! I suppose, in the back of my mind, that it was always there – that the possibly was _always_ there! I mean, after all, Daryl had managed to accomplish the impossible before – why not go a second time?" She shrugged. "Like I said, though, I just didn't want to think that it was possible! I chose to be stupid and naïve and look what it got me!" She turned around to face her friend then and smiled a tight smile then as she wiped away her tears. "But we're in the same boat, aren't we? You're pregnant too, right?" Lori's tight smile matched hers as she nodded. He handed her back her pregnancy test and Tessa took it as Lori's arms moved to cross in front of her chest.

"Yeah . . . probably as far along as you are, I guess, since I took my own test a few days before you. How did you know, though?" She answered, her eyebrows furrowing in interest, and Tessa ran her tongue along her bottom lip as she looked down at the ground underneath her feet.

"Not long, I'll admit. I saw the abortion pills on the table in your tent when I asked you about the test and, after all, you _were _the one I got the pregnancy test from in the first place. Why else would you have had it other than 'just in case' moments?" She asked and Lori laughed a little before she turned a keen gaze onto her.

"Tessa, don't make the same mistake that I did. Tell Daryl as soon as you can - he'd especially want to know!" Tessa nodded in agreement.

"I know, it's just . . ." She gave a nervous laugh and weakly shrugged her shoulders. "Gathering up the courage is probably the hardest thing to do! I have no idea how he'll react and I . . ." She shrugged then, tears filling her eyes. "I know it's selfish of me, but I want this baby too, Lor'! I want this baby almost as much as I know Daryl wants it and I just . . ." She shrugged. "I don't know what I'll do if the time comes and all I can present to him is a dead baby! It'd destroy him!" Lori nodded in sympathetic understanding as she wrapped her friend up in a tight hug.

"It'll be okay, honey! We'll survive this – together! I promise!"

Tessa smiled tearfully as she moved to hug her back and for a moment, the two women sat there in their matching chairs in front of the Grimes' tent, nothing but silent tears rolling down their cheeks. The both of them felt keenly like they had just received matching death sentences, however, for two totally different reasons.

Lori felt like she had been handed her _own _personal death sentence, whereas Tessa was only worried about the baby she carried.

* * *

Tessa couldn't sleep.

All she could do was lay there, half on Daryl and half off him, gazing out the mesh wall of the tent to the moonlit world outside. She lay there, mired in her own poisoning thoughts while the father of her unborn child lay there, sleeping as restfully as the baby growing inside of her. She wanted to tell him. The words constantly bubbled up on her lips – on the very fringes of her tongue, and yet . . . she never managed to build up the courage enough to say them.

Multiple times that night as they got ready for bed (or more like, Tessa got ready for bed and Daryl watched because Daryl had been ready for bed all afternoon, practically!) She had begun to try to tell him by saying his name and waiting for him to answer with his customary "Mmhmm?" Always, though – _always_ – the words she needed to say found themselves falling on a deaf tongue and she always ended up smiling a small smile and shaking her head upon answering him with "Nothing." Instead of what she really needed to say.

She was drug out of her thoughts by Daryl letting out a groggy sound and shifting slightly underneath her. She shifted slightly to accommodate him, ever careful of the stitches in his side. "Ya still awake?" He asked her, his tired voice slightly shocked and husky with sleep and she nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from the outside world outside their tent.

"Yeah . . . I can't . . . I can't sleep for some reason. . ." She murmured back.

"Anythin' I can do to help?" She couldn't help but grin at his words and shook his head as she turned her head up so that they could kiss, slow and deep and passionate and although her lower body immediately thrummed with want for him, she heeded Hershel's words and reluctantly broke apart from him.

"You should probably go back to sleep. I have a feeling that we're gonna have a long day tomorrow – you'll probably be up on your feet too, knowing you! And besides, Hershel said to stay away from sex until your stitches come out. They could cause major problems if they decided to open up!" She told him, a tad coldly as she moved to lay her head back on his chest again and she could hear the hurt in his voice as he nodded and replied with a simple "Yeah." It was the first time she had turned down sex with him since they were reunited and it had nothing to do with not wanting him, because that was exactly the opposite! Blame it on her already raging hormones and the desire-filled kiss, but there was an uncomfortable ache between her legs that she tried her best to ignore as she closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep.

But _damn _her imagination and the uncomfortable draw of the warm, hard body next to hers! All her scumbag mind could think of while trying her damndest to get to sleep, was the feeling of Daryl's hand moving between her legs . . .

She gritted her teeth and shifted uncomfortably beside him again. The movement caused him to release a sigh of slight irritation. "Look, at least _try _to get to sleep, alright?" He hissed and Tessa rolled her eyes as she shifted again.

"_Sorry_! Jesus . . .!" She muttered before releasing a long, shaky breath. She didn't know what gave her away, but all of a sudden, she found herself lying on her back with Daryl above her. Her eyes immediately widened and she barely missed the flicker of pain originating in his side that crossed his eyes when he settled more comfortably above her.

"Daryl, you really shouldn't -!"

"Tess, do yaself a favor and shut up for once!" He interrupted her in a hiss and she obediently shut her mouth, however, she only ended up gasping out in surprise when she felt his hands move underneath her shirt and slide along the smooth skin of her stomach. She stiffened slightly when she felt his fingertips lightly graze the underside of her breasts. A kiss on the side of her neck forced her to relax some, her nipples rising as the pad of Daryl's callused thumb lightly skimmed over them. She felt him grin against her skin as she relaxed into his embrace, sagging back against the mattress underneath them. She tried to fight him as she lolled her head further to the side, giving him more tender flesh to trail his lips across. She felt his hand slide back down her belly, his movements becoming uncustomarily rough and anxious. Goosebumps broke out across her limbs as a warm hand slipped underneath her panties and softly began to stroke her most tender of areas.

Tessa bit her bottom lip, trying desperately to stave off a whimper as Daryl's other hand resumed the kneading and tweaking of her breasts and nipples underneath the thin shirt. The fingers stroking her picked up their pace as she felt something hard push against her hip and as Daryl started breathing heavily against her neck. His thumb starting playing with her nub and Tessa blushed with unreleased pleasure as her legs began to jerk slightly, her hips thrusting against her will as the fingers began to swirl inside her. Everything began to fade as chills and warm waves started rushing through her. She couldn't hear how loud her gasping had become or the slight moans she was emitting, but she allowed his lips to cover hers nonetheless. She heeded Lori's words as well - they did need to start being a little quieter.

But she wanted him. She wanted all of him so badly but she knew they wouldn't move past anything but this stage that night. She wasn't about to go against Hershel's advice and Daryl knew better than to push her when she put her foot down. One of her hands moved down to clench the callused hand that was making love to her while the other came up and smoothed behind his neck, bringing his face closer to hers as their kiss grew more impassioned. They broke apart and his breathing started to come out harsher against her neck. The fingers stopped swirling and went back to a fast, hard thrusting, pulling up through her folds, scraping the spot inside her that made her go wild until she couldn't take it anymore and her back arched underneath him. She drifted warmly as her body convulsed, his arms coming up around her to hold her until she stopped.

"Ya know, despite what ya sometimes think, I'm not exactly a selfish bastard . . ." Daryl murmured to her when she finally came down from her high, his voice hard and slightly cold and she shook her head.

"Daryl, I never -!"

"Shush, Tess and go to sleep. Whenever ya need to tell me what ya need to tell me, I'll be here. Although, for the life of me, I don' know what I did to make ya think I'd walk from ya after all this shit we've been through already!"


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm probably gonna start doing a few new things starting with the next few chapters. The first thing I'm gonna do is update once a day and that's it. So, I'm gonna try and not do the whole double chapter a day thing, mainly because its confusing me and I feel like I may be bogging you guys down with chapters and thus, not getting me as many reviews (that's a theory). Not-to-mention I feel like it'll stabilize the story itself a little bit. So if I don't update for a day or so, then don't be alarmed, its me either writing the new chapter or waiting for more reviews :)**

**Another thing I'm gonna start doing because I saw multiple other author's do this, and which I am actually gonna start next chapter depending on how many reviews I get for this, is reply to every review I get at the bottom of every chapter for the previous chapter (if that made any sense at all). This way, I can get more in touch with you guys and converse (even if it is somewhat one-sided) and maybe that way, you guys will review more and all that jazz. All of this is to get more reviews, basically, because I feel like I'm lagging and I feel the need for more hoopsbah to keep writing.**

**But, enough of that for now! Onward with the next chapter which will primarily be a Daryl centered fic again . . . I guess :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Daryl was still cold towards her in the morning, when they were all grouped around the campfire eating breakfast. In fact, everyone seemed subdued that morning. Lori and Rick looked like they were partially dead to world and as Tessa took her customary spot beside Daryl with her plate of food he acted as if nothing had happened between them the previous night – as if she hadn't come on his fingers and then him just pass it off as something that was his 'duty' and no longer his 'pleasure'. He didn't even greet her the same way he normally did – with a peck on the lips and a lazy hello. Hell, even Carl and Ethan seemed languorous that particular morning.

Tessa glanced at Glenn and noticed, however, that he was on the verge of saying something – something huge. She glanced towards Dale leaning against a nearby tree beside Shane. The old man nodded resolutely in much younger one's direction and immediately Tessa's breath caught in her lungs and she latched a hand onto Daryl's forearm. He turned an alarmed gaze up to her and she glanced at him.

"Do you feel that?" She hissed to him and he slowly shook his head.

"Feel what?" She swallowed heavily.

"Something huge is about to happen!" She told him and she immediately noticed his body tensing as he moved back to his breakfast.

"Ya prolly imaginin' things . . ." He muttered, however, even his eyes jumped warily up to the Glenn when he moved to nervously stand in the middle of the group.

"U-Uh, guys . . .?" He nervously began and everyone politely turned their gazes onto him. Tessa's hand tightened on Daryl's forearm and he fought he urge to take her hand in his as Glenn continued on. "So . . . yeah, the barn is full of walkers."

The whole camp suddenly became so silent, that for a moment, it was like you could hear a pin drop. Daryl heard Tessa release a frightened "Holy shit!" as he sat up straighter in his chair. Even Ethan sitting beside him, tensed slightly, as did the rest of the people there who the news had settled in as soon as he had said them. The ones who hadn't - who were slower in the mornings than the others . . . the looks of dawning understanding on their faces were truly unsettling to behold.

Rick . . . Rick looked like he was about to grab an ax and suddenly become an ax murderer.

"God_damm_it!" Daryl's awed voice came from beside her and Tess turned her head to gaze at her.

"What is it?" He shrugged then, the same look of awe on his face.

"I called it, didn' I? Didn' I say somethin' 'bout this place rubbed me the wrong way when we first got here?" He shrugged then. "At first I thought it was Hershel - how I kept gettin' the feelin' that he was keepin' somethin' from us and I was right! Here it is - here's the reason that points out the fact that I was right!"

"Shane, where are you going . . .? Shane, wait a minute -!"

Tessa heard Daryl let out another curse then at Andrea's hurried words as he shoved his plate full of scrambled eggs into her hand and quickly get to his feet, where he ran after Shane with Andrea and T-Dog in quick pursuit. Tessa in turn got to her feet as well as the rest of the group and after placing the plate forgotten in her chair, quickly followed after them. The massive cop was making a beeline for the barn and when they got closer to it, they all heard it . . . the moaning and shuffling of walkers coming from the inside.

They all hung nervously back as Shane peered cautiously into the slat in-between the doors. When a walker suddenly appeared, snarling in front of him, Shane let out an angry 'tch' and moved back to the group, where he gave Rick and angry stare. "You cannot _tell _me that you're alright with this!" He snarled and Rick shook his head in bewilderment.

"No I'm not – how can you think I am?" Rick snarled back. "However, we are _guests_ here and this is _not_ our land!"

"Your damn right - this is our _lives_!" Shane all but roared back and it took Glenn's nervously shifting eyes and his calm voice to even begin to calm them down in the slightest.

"Guys, you should probably lower your voices -!"

"We can't just sweep this under the rug!" Andrea spoke up, interrupting Glenn but her voice came out much quieter and calmer than either Shane or Rick's. She immediately jumped on Shane's side of things and Tessa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Stay outta it, babydoll . . ." She heard Daryl mutter to her and she glanced up at him and pursed her lips in irritation but nodded nonetheless.

"It ain't right – not remotely!" Shane readily agreed and this time, it was Daryl who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Stay _out _of it, darlin'!" Tessa hissed back with vehemence and Daryl shot her a slightly mean, but amused look. Seemed like ever since she jumped the gun faster than she should have and shot him, Tessa couldn't stand Andrea almost as much as Daryl himself couldn't stand Shane. It made him breath easier too. You couldn't like everyone and it'd be irrational to think that you could get along with everyone - he was glad Tessa was no longer trying to.

Tessa had a good idea why he was so pissed at her too. Relationships were built on trust, not lies and deceptions, and Tessa would be the first to admit that she was keeping a pretty big secret from him and he knew it. She thought she knew pretty damn well why she wasn't telling him and as stupid as a reason it was, she still couldn't bring herself to build up the courage to lay her card out on the table!

"We've either got to go in there and make things right or we've got to go!" Shane continued and Rick turned around, where he pinned him with a look. "Now, we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time -!"

"We can't just go!" Rick interrupted him through gritted teeth and a vein in Shane's forehead began to pop out slightly.

"Why, Rick? Why can we not leave?" He demanded angrily and Tessa immediately knew why from Rick point of view that they couldn't leave. It was because Lori was in the same boat that she was and the both of them would rather give birth with a vet than anyone with no medical experience of any kind at all, which is what they faced without Hershel. The only difference between them was that Lori had told her husband.

Instead of Rick answering him, though and telling him that, Carol stepped forward instead, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "Because my daughter's still out there!" She spoke, her voice shaky but strong, and Shane let out a snort of a laugh.

"Okay, I think it's time that we all just start to _consider_ the other possibility -!"

"Shane, we're not leaving Sophia behind!" Rick interrupted him again and it was at this time that Daryl stepped forward. Tessa tried to keep a fumbling grasp on him but he shrugged out of her touch easily and instead, kept the same even pace towards Shane. If there was anyone in the group that wasn't scared or intimidated by Shane in the slightest other than Rick, it was Daryl and for good reason! He had met infinitely more intimidating men in his life – his own damn father included – and it would certainly take more than a high-and-mighty, my-shit-don't-stink Shane to intimidate the man who had literally grown up believing that smashed beer bottles against his head, broken bones and cigarette burns were code-names for 'I love you'.

"Look, I'm close to findin' this girl," He spoke up. "For shit's sake, I jus' found her doll two days ago!" He had moved in-between Shane and Carol then and Tessa tensed, immediately knowing a confrontation quickly brewing when she saw it. Shane let out another snort of laughter.

"You found her doll, Daryl, that's what you did. You found a damn _doll_."

Daryl's anger started to grow and Tessa tensed further but Daryl's eyes on hers stopped her from moving. He might have been pissed at all Hell at her for not trusting him with obviously a pretty big secret, but he sure as Hell wasn't about to allow her to step into anything that could potentially get her killed! "Ya don' know what the Hell ya talkin' 'bout!" He snapped back and Shane shrugged.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said!" He replied and Rick, realizing the quickly brewing danger like Tessa did, immediately placed himself in-between them, ready to quickly diffuse the situation should and when it arose. "You get a good lead and it's in the first forty-eight hours -!"

"Shane, stop!"

"Let me tell ya something else, man. If she were alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction!" He stepped closer to him, his voice lowering slightly. "You take that shit back that whore ya fuck on a daily basis – I bet her ass _loves _that kinky shit!"

Tessa had never seen Daryl try to launch himself at someone like he tried to launch himself at Shane at that split second after he registered that he called her a whore. Rick, always in-between them, barely managed to keep Daryl off of Shane before having to turn around and keep Shane from jumping at Daryl in turn. He expertly kept the two men off each other for a moment but Tessa could tell Daryl was only getting more heated as him and Shane shot obscenities at each other. Daryl would shove Shane, Shane would push back harder and soon, Rick was finding himself overpowered. Glenn, Andrea and Lori found themselves quickly grouping around Shane and keeping him back while Tessa and Carol hurried over to Daryl, Tessa's hand moving to take a clamping hold on his shoulder. She could feel every tense muscle in his entire body and his eyes burned holes of pure, fiery hatred into the man across from him the entire time. She would even go so far as to bet that the man's very blood was boiling with anger in his veins.

"_God _I fuckin' hate him!" Daryl hissed through gritted teeth and Tessa nodded, shushing him soothingly as she moved to place herself in front of him, her hands moving to plant on his chest. Daryl might be pissed but she knew he wouldn't barrel past her to get to him. _  
_

"Won't you back _off_, Shane?" Rick snapped at him as Shane wrenched himself out of Lori's grasp and pointed a threatening finger at her.

"Keep your hands off of me!" He growled at her as he moved to stalk off, his eyes burning holes of equal intensity into Daryl. Daryl could only further grit his teeth in anger as Tessa shot Carol a small smile over her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I got him under control." She quietly assured her and Carol asked her if she was sure in a slow, hesitant voice that Tessa immediately nodded at. Believe it or not, she had seen and handled Daryl when he had been much angrier than this.

"Now just let me talk to Hershel," Rick spoke up, his hand outstretched to Shane. "Let me figure this out."

"Just what are you gonna figure out?" Shane roared at him as he marched his way over to them, Lori immediately interjecting herself between them.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is _his _land, Shane!"

"_Hershel_ sees those things in there as people," Dale's voice came next and Tessa felt Daryl's muscles start to slowly unwind underneath her hands as the minutes ticked by where Shane wasn't overtly threatening him or sending him death-glares. He allowed her hands to remain planted on his chest and when he noticed her slightly frightened breathing, he glanced down at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, where he brought her closer against his chest. She knew he wasn't doing that because had forgiven - no, it took much more for Daryl Dixon to forgive someone. He did it because he knew that with her there, he would have a much lesser chance of doing something stupid to Shane if the man suddenly wheeled around to challenge him again. "He sees them as sick people! His wife, his stepson – they are _all_ in there!"

"You knew?" Rick asked in disbelief and Dale sighed and nodded.

"Yesterday, I talked to Hershel," He admitted. "I wanted to wait until this morning to say something, but Glenn wanted to be the one," He explained as he gestured to Glenn, and Shane, who was still as angry as someone in the middle of a Roid-rage, immediately spoke up again. Daryl let out a 'tch' of disgust as he moved his arms out from around her waist in order to cross them in front of his chest. Tessa took that cue to back off him somewhat and she did by shifting backwards somewhat.

"Goddamn, the man loves to hear his own voice, don' he?" He muttered and Tessa glanced at him before turning her eyes back onto the discussion at hand.

"If Hershel thinks those things are alive or not – they _have_ to be dealt with!"

The walkers in the barn must have heard their heated discussion, for the chains on the double barn doors started rattling and the wood started creaking as they began shoving against the door, growling hungrily as they did so. It quieted everyone enough for a few minutes of much needed thinking and eventually, Rick sighed and turned back to everyone. "I'll talk to Hershel about it, I swear! Until then, we'll watch this barn like the plague! If any walkers get out, we'll know about it and we'll deal with them accordingly then. Do you all understand?" Everyone stayed silent for a moment before every one of them slowly but surely nodded in agreement. Everyone moved back to camp to do whatever they needed to do to keep their minds off of the walkers in the barn, including Daryl and Tessa. He latched onto her upper arm and practically drug her away.

"I don' wanna see ya or Ethan anywhere near here, ya understand?" He asked, his voice dripping with still angry venom and although she knew the anger was directed primarily at Shane, she still didn't like be manhandled. She let out a dry, humorless laugh as she stopped and yanked her arm none-too-kindly out of his grip. He stumbled backwards slightly when she did it and him flinching at the pain in his side almost made her regret it - almost.

"We wouldn't be caught dead near that barn and you know it Daryl! Now what the _fuck _is going on with you?" She demanded through angrily gritted teeth and Daryl let out an angry, dry laugh then.

"Oh, I don' know, possibly because my own woman would rather let me fuck her -"

"You didn't _fuck _me, Daryl, you _finger _fucked me - there's a difference!" She interrupted him with a hiss but he rolled his eyes.

"Oh well forgive me for not makin' that distinction tho' its still fuckin'!" Tessa rolled her eyes in disgust as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. He continued on. "Ya would rather let me _finger _fuck ya then even begin to tell me what the Hell has been botherin' ya lately to the point to where ya not even eatin'!" He shook his head. "I swear to God, Tess, its somethin' happenin' to ya after another! First, it's this whole shit with ya depression and with Merle and then Jenner and the paternity test and now it's _this_! When in the Hell are ya ever gonna tell me what the Hell's been botherin' ya?"

Her anger at him immediately cooled and a look of uneasiness appeared on her face then as she shifted nervously from foot to foot. This was her chance. This was her chance to tell him that she was pregnant. This. Was. Her. _Chance_!

However, like always, she felt her throat constrict whenever the words would come to her lips and she found that she didn't have anything that she could tell him. What was _wrong _with her? Why was it _so hard _to tell him shit now? It used to never be this way! Did what Merle do to her and then keeping all those emotions and fears bottled up inside and from him, ruin her whenever it came to telling him something important?

Eventually, though, tears filled her eyes as she numbly shook her head. A look of stormy rage appeared in his eyes then as he rolled them and threw up his hands up incredulously into the air. "Of course – of _fuckin' _course – I should have expected this! Don' know why I didn't!"

"Daryl, wait, please -!"

"_No_, Tessa, I'm done waitin'!" He roared back, interrupting her mid-sentence. He shook his head when he got her wide-eyed, deserved attention. "I'm tired of all this bullshit – I'm tired of all this lyin' and deceivin' and-and . . ." He trailed off then and threw his hands up in the air again in exasperation. "I don' know! Jus' . . . let me think 'bout where we go from here, okay?" He asked with an exasperation huff and it was then that she tearfully called out his name. When he ignored her, just kept walking off in the general direction of the horse barn, was when she ran forward and latched onto his arm. She spun him around, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He froze at first and when she broke apart, tears moving down her eyes, he understood just why.

"Daryl, I'm pregnant!" She gave a teasing laugh then and for a moment, through her tears and that grin of relief, Daryl thought that was one of her prettiest moments. "And _thank God _I'm one hundred percent sure its yours this time!"

The words came out slightly frightened and tear-filled through her watery laugh. However, when he turned his look of completely stunned shock onto her, she bit down on her bottom lip and carefully lowered herself back down onto her feet. Her hands moved to his shoulders instead of being looped around his neck and he swallowed hard and shook his head.

"I don' . . . how . . .?" He shook his head again. "Tess, I don' know how to . . .!" She nodded in agreement.

"I don't either. If you need time, I understand. _God_ knows I did!" She assured him with another light laugh and Daryl nodded numbly as he slowly backed away from her and towards the horse barn again, their hands the last things to part. He held her gaze searchingly for a moment before pursing his lips and turning around, where he continued at a quicker pace for the peace and quiet of the horses. Damn, it was only his first day out of bed and already he was being slapped, threatened and told he was gonna be a daddy again. Could this day get any worse?

* * *

Your damn right it could.

He had been in the middle of transporting the saddle for the horse – Nervous Nelly, the one that had thrown him earlier - from the tack room to the barn aisle, when he heard a soft voice come from behind him down by the Northern entrance of the barn. Expecting Tessa, he turned around to gaze at her, a slightly hopeful look on his face, however, that hopeful look was replaced with an angry scowl when he realized that it was just Carol.

It always damn Carol - always getting' into his business and shit!

He slung the saddle onto the saddle rack with a burst of exertion that sapped strength quite a bit and he immediately caved in on himself slightly with a pained grunt. He heard the thud of her boot heels on the dirt floor as she made her quick way over to him.

"You can't -!"

"I'm fine." He interrupted her, his voice terse. He had hoped it had been Tessa who had followed him into the barn. He wanted to apologize for being short with her – wanted to apologize for making her think that they were over when he was quite sure that they were never going to be over. It was just . . . he was still quite taken aback by the news that normally, under better, more normal circumstances, would have brought him so much joy.

He was . . . he was gonna be a daddy again . . . it was everything he had ever wanted, right?

"Hershel said you need to heal!" Carol replied, her voice firm as he stood and moved to one of the racks on the wall to grab the horse's halter and lead rope.

"Yeah, I don' really care 'bout that right now . . ." He muttered and really, he didn't. It was the first morning back on his feet since his tumble off the cliff and already he had been shoved by Shane, his woman called a whore to his face and then bitch-slapped with baby news. Right now, the last thing he wanted to do was heal! All he really wanted to do was just to clear-up the Gettysburg currently raging in his head!

"Well _I_ do!" Carol told him as he opened the stall door and moved inside. His touch and his voice was gentle as he crossed the short distance to the horse. Nelly nudged his pant pockets for treats as he slid the halter over her head. "And I'm pretty sure that Tessa cares about you too – Ethan as well!" She shook her head as she moved to better watch him interact with the horse. He interacted with the animal a lot better than he interacted with many humans. Of course, then again, that fit him, didn't it? Humans had dealt him shitty deal after shitty deal. Animals never done nothing to him. "Rick's going out later to follow the trail." Daryl shook his head, halfway not paying her attention.

"Yeah, well, I ain' gonna sit 'round and do nothin'. I had enough of that yesterday and besides - I've got too much on my mind to do that!" He wanted to add that Rick couldn't track like he could too, but didn't.

He was slipping the horse's ears through the halter when Carol shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No, you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse and cause Tessa even more heartache and stress than she needs!" Daryl ignored her, still mired in his thoughts – like where he currently stood on the whole being a daddy issue, when her quiet voice broke through his reverie again. "We don't know if we're gonna find her, Daryl," She shrugged. "We _don't,_" This made him completely stop and turn around to face her, a look of dumb shock appearing on his face. "_I_ don't."

His face practically expressionless except for the look of awe and amazement flickering through his eyes, he took a few slow steps towards her. His tone when he answered her was low and dangerous and for the first time since Ed was alive, Carol felt something close to fear for her physical well-being beat away in her heart. If she had been Tessa, or if Tessa had been there, she would have known that, that would have been possibly the worst thing you could have said to him at that moment - especially when himself had babies on the brain something fierce. There was a reason why Daryl loved children – why he had a respect for women who would do anything to protect their kids and keep them safe. There was a reasonrooted deeply down into his childhood that explained why he had affectionately nick-named Tessa, 'Momma Bear'.

Daryl respected and adored women who were nothing like his own mother had been when he was growing up, and just hearing another woman tell him that she had all but lost hope in finding her own missing child, made a rage flare up in him like nobody's business.

Carol, however, could feel Daryl's anger brewing but wasn't exactly focused on that. She was forcing herself to keep her eyes on his the entire time and not on the muscular chest outlined by his sweat drenched shirt – the muscular chest that was all and irrevocably Tessa's – the chest that she had moaned and arched her back under . . . the muscular chest that belonged to the man that would _never _be hers.

"What did you just say?"

Carol, knowing she shouldn't say anything more about Sophia, gave a half-hearted shrug, tears shining in her eyes. "I can't lose _you_, too, Daryl!" She spoke weakly and Daryl gave a scoff of disbelief. He couldn't believe her - he wasn't hers to lose! Tessa and Ethan – he was _theirs _to lose! What gave her any right to loop herself in with them?

He moved to walk away then, to leave her in the barn alone and go find somewhere else to think and sort out his own thoughts, but he took one glance over his shoulder and that proved to be his undoing. At the sight of the one lone tear that skated down her cheek, he snapped. Teeth gritting in anger, he grasped the saddle and threw it off the saddle rack. It was too much for him, however, for he immediately collapsed in on himself, grunting in pain, his hands flying to hold his stitched side. He almost hit the ground but caught himself before he could. Carol immediately ran over him, her hands meeting his shoulders. He yanked himself out of her grip and kept walking, however.

"Are you alright?"

"Just leave me be – ya stupid bitch!" He snapped at her and when he stalked off and was halfway to wherever he was heading, he realized that Carol had helped him come to a decision regarding Tessa and the baby – a decision that he didn't think he could have come to on his own. Where Carol had already halfway given up on finding her daughter, Daryl realized that Tessa would _never _have given up on finding Ethan if he was the one missing in Sophia's place. She would have begged Daryl on her hands and knees if need be, to go out day and night in the hopes of finding him. Not once would she have ever entertained the notion of him being dead or gone somewhere no one knew where. He shook his head. He loved Tessa like he loved no other and like there would only be one woman he would ever allow to see him in as much pain as she had seen him in over the years, there was only one woman that he would ever allow to bare his children – a woman who would do more for her children than his mother _ever _thought of doing for him and Merle.

A woman who would be a Momma Bear to his children – a woman who was _already _a Momma Bear to his child . . . his Tessa.

* * *

"Tessa, babydoll, I need to talk to ya!"

Tessa looked up from the quiet conversation she had been in with Patricia and Beth on the porch of the farmhouse, only to see Daryl walking towards her, Carol hot on his heels. She and Carol's eyes connected for a moment and the older woman have her a small smile before she was distracted by Daryl stooping down in front of her and kissing her. She sat there, frozen for a minute before moving to kiss him back, her hand moving to slid behind his neck. Beth couldn't help but grin as they slowly broke apart, Daryl nodding as he did so.

"Tess, I know how I reacted earlier was probably not the best way to have reacted, but I'm here now to promise you that I'll -!"

He was interrupted, however, by Andrea and T-Dog marching up to them, confused looks on their faces. "Have any of you seen Hershel or Rick?" T-Dog asked and Glenn got to his feet from where he had been sitting talking with Maggie.

"No why?"

"We were supposed to leave a couple of hours ago," Andrea took over and they in turn, were interrupted by Daryl. At the mention of them leaving in a few hours, he had completely forgotten what he had originally intended to go there and tell Tessa, only to get to his feet and nod instead.

"Yeah, we were. What the Hell?"

"Rick told us he was going out," Carol jumped in and Daryl shot Carol a look as he turned around to face everyone else.

"Dammit, isn't anyone taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail!" He caught sight of Shane then walking up to them with all the guns slung across his back and he moved to meet him halfway as Tessa fumbled to keep a grip on his hand or his arm – anywhere on his body, in fact!

"Daryl, I don't think -!"

"You with me man?" Shane asked him with a careful look and Daryl nodded as he handed him a gun. "It's time to grow up!" Shane called out and Daryl followed him as he cocked his gun. Tessa's eyes grew wide when she realized that Shane was meaning to do, especially when she tossed a gun to Ethan standing right beside her, a slightly confused look on her son's face.

They were going to open the barn and shoot every walker that came out . . . _without _Rick!


	19. Chapter 19

**Maddy120296 - Yeah, I really dislike Carol too. I've always liked Lori much more than I ever found myself liking Carol on the show (which puts me in a minority of people, I think). But she isn't going to die a bloody, excruciating death . . . yet. I have plans for her ;)**

**zaii - I agree on the fact that I do plan on Lori and Tessa kinda bonding even more through their shared pregnancies but I also plan on putting a little friction between them too, although I'm not gonna elaborate on that any further. As for the gender of the baby, ya just gonna have to keep readin' ;)**

**Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - Thank you so much for liking it and loving Tessa :D! I love her too - she's probably my favorite OC that I've ever written and I try my best to write this in the direction that my fans want me to. I also do plan on having a lot more twists and turns in it, so keep reading! Another thing is that I grew up in the Deep South and down there I noticed that we don't say "Daddy" we say "deddy". I think it gives Ethan a little vulnerability because he is thirteen and in a number of ways he still is Carl and Sophia's age - not Glenn's. Its hard to find that balance sometimes.**

**I had originally intended for this chapter to have more content in it, however, when I uploaded it, the extra content tripped me over into the 6,000 word category and normally, I try to stay anywhere within the 5,000 word category so I quickly decided against it. The extra content is going to be in the next chapter and considering that its going to be a completely new chapter than the one I had originally planned on posting, its set me back a little bit in the course of the story but don't worry, its not too bad :)**

**So, enough of me gabbing! Read, enjoy and please, reviews are always welcome :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

The Barnyard Massacre had been just that – a fucking Massacre.

And it hadn't really bubbled to a dangerous head until the moment they caught sight of Hershel leading two walkers down the corral pins towards the barn, Rick helping and holding one of his own.

They had all taken off a run for the barn at that moment, wondering what the Hell Rick was doing, and when they reached the barnyard moments later, Hershel, Rick, Jimmy and the walkers were just entering it. They all spread out in a scattered semi-circle, both to get room to escape should the walkers somehow get away from them, and so that they could better watch Shane's little spectacle that he had started earlier by handing out the guns, further escalate.

"What the Hell is going on here?" Shane asked in disbelief, his eyes wide with the same emotion, and Rick glanced at them as he struggled to keep the walker he was holding, in check.

"Shane just _back_ the Hell off!" He yelled at him when he saw Shane running towards them and as soon as he heard his voice. He was drowned out, however, by both his best friend's voice and Hershel's, who spoke next.

"Why do your people have guns?"

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Shane asked with disbelief still evident in his voice as he turned back to face the rest of the people standing dumbly in the barnyard, able to do nothing but simply watch. "You see? You see what they're holding onto?"

"I see _who_ I'm holding onto!" Hershel fired back passionately and Shane shook his head.

"No, man, you don't -!"

"Daryl!"

Daryl turned around when Tessa's slightly frightened voice reached him and he glanced back at Shane before immediately jogging over to her, where he took her into his arms. Their eyes stayed glued on the spectacle the entire time and when Daryl's hand slid in-between them to flatten protectively out over her stomach, Tessa wanted to let out a sob of relief. The gesture more than told her how he felt at that moment and that alone made her heart ache, in more ways than one.

"Deddy . . .?"

Ethan's voice came out not frightened like many other thirteen-year-old's would have – and indeed, like many there were showing at that moment- but surprisingly cautious. He glanced at his father, wanting to know how to react to what was happening, and Daryl nodded to him. "Stay right here. And no matter what this dumbass makes happen, ya protect ya momma, ya understand?" Daryl hissed to him over Tessa's head and Ethan nodded, the gun Shane threw him at the ready as the events quickly continued to unfold.

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk!" Rick tried to tell him - to diffuse the situation as calmly as he could like he always did - but Shane, as always when he was fired up, wasn't listening.

"What do you want to talk about Rick? These things ain't sick. They ain't people. They're dead – ain't got to feel nothing for them 'cause all they do is kill! These things right here – they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis – they're _going_ to kill all of us -!"

"Shane, shut up!" Rick yelled over the snarls of the walkers and Shane shook his head, a sick grin of amusement appearing on his face.

"Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something. Could a living, breathing person - could they walk away from this?" It was then that he pulled out his pistol and shot the walker the older man was holding three times - three dead bangs right in the chest. Everyone gasped and covered their mouths in horror whereas Hershel simply stared at the walker he was holding, his eyes wide with an indiscernible emotion. Tessa flinched and Daryl shushed her by pulling her deeper into his arms, his hand flexing slightly on her stomach as he did so.

"Don' look Tess if ya don' want to. I promise to God ya ain' missin' anythin'!" He hissed to her and Tessa nodded as she gladly buried her face in his chest, small sobs coming forth from her lips as she did so. She didn't know why this was freaking her out so badly. After all, she and Ethan had faced worse things on their way out of Atlanta and she had faced worse things in her life too up until then. Why was _this _event rattling her so badly? Was it because they were finally seeing the extent of Shane's burgeoning insanity?

Rick screamed out a 'no' as Shane continued blindly on, fueled on by his own sick fire. "Now, that's three rounds in the chest right there. Could someone who's alive just take that? Why _is it still_ coming?" He shot the walker twice once more and again, everyone let out more gasps of shock. "That there that I just shot – that's its heart and its lungs. _Why is it still coming_?" He raised his pistol for a third time and let lose another two or three rounds into the walker's chest. Rick was beyond angry at that moment.

"Shane - _that is enough_!"

"Yeah, your right man – that is enough!" Shane finally admitted, his voice growing darker and more ominous. Tessa heard Daryl utter a curse under his breath as the man raised his gun once more and finally put the bullet through the walker head's that would put it out of its oblivious misery. As if the entire thing was moving in slow motion, the walker fell dead to the ground, Hershel lowering the corpse down with unnecessary gentleness.

"I have had enough of risking our lives for a little girl who's _gone_!" Shane roared out, Carol jumping at his words and her eyes growing wide with horror as well. Daryl's eyes flickered to her, however, Tessa, who was still crying and trembling like a leaf in his arms, garnered much more of his attentions. "I have had _enough_ of living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! _Enough_!" He turned his eyes onto Rick then. "Rick, brother, it ain't like it was before!" He then returned his gaze back onto the rest of the people standing before them, their gazes rapt on him. "Now if ya'll wanna live - if ya'll wanna survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here - _right now_!" It was then that he turned around and ran full tilt to the barn doors. Daryl let out a violent curse and glanced at Ethan.

"Ethan, take ya momma!" He quickly told him as he gently disentangled himself from Tessa and handed her off to their son. Ethan nodded and did as he was told, his arm wrapping around his mother's trembling shoulders as Daryl ran forward to stand beside Rick and the others in front of the barn doors, their guns at the ready. Rick all the while was begging the still stunned Hershel to take the pole holding the walker from his hands so that he could focus on the indeterminable wave of walkers that would lumber out of that barn as soon as the doors were thrown open. However, Hershel never did, just fell to his knees and continued to gaze dumbly at the fallen walker Shane had shot dead in his hands. Eventually, Rick could only stand there, helpless, as the doors were thrown open and the walkers came lumbering and snarling out.

Daryl had just enough time to look back behind him and make sure that Ethan had a protective grip on his still crying mother before turning back to the walkers.

It was a massacre . . . a congealing bloody barnyard massacre. Vaguely, Daryl thought this must have been what countless Western shoot-outs must have looked like, however, he doubted Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday had anything like this in mind at the O.K Corral!

But no matter what it looked like, Daryl had only entertained the thought for little over a millisecond. The entire time he wasn't debating on whether or not doing this was morally right or wrong, the only thing flitting through his mind was that at any moment they could get swarmed and his family would find themselves in pretty deep shit – Tessa, their son and the baby Tessa was now carrying inside of her.

And then . . . and then, when they thought it could not possibly get any worse, it did.

"Oh my God – is that _Sophia_!"

They all stood there in stunned shock at Andrea's words, not one of them able to move until Carol finally did. She called out her daughter's name in a tearful voice before taking off full sprint towards the barn and her walker daughter. Daryl, reacting instinctively, easily caught the older woman round her waist and held her back, lest she reach her and get herself bitten. They immediately fell to the ground and when Daryl anxiously glanced behind him to see Tessa's reaction, he let out a sigh of relief when she vehemently nodded her head and mouthed, "Hold on to her!" He nodded in return and readily complied. He held onto Carol with unnecessary strength and for a moment, it seemed like the only sounds around them were the sobs and cries coming from the various people standing there. Carl was sobbing in his mother's arms at seeing his only good friend left in the world a walker and Tessa closed her eyes and buried her face in her son's neck in order to not look any longer as tears came to her eyes again.

When Rick's gunshot came, telling everyone that the little Sophia was finally dead, Tessa still didn't look. She couldn't look, in fear that she would see Ethan in Sophia's place.

The gunshots had finally come to a stop and as the dust started settling down, almost everyone ended up crying – everyone in Hershel's party, especially. Daryl stood, hefting Carol to her feet as he did so and when she eventually thrust him away from her and ran off back in the general direction of camp, he gladly allowed her to so that he could run back to Tessa. He dropped to his knees to the dust and the dirt beside her and their son and gently retook the sobbing woman from Ethan arms back into his own. Tessa slumped against him, her face immediately moving to bury in his chest as the tears continued to come. Her arms moved to wrap limply around his neck and Daryl shushed her all the while, his eyes pinned on his son still sitting beside them.

Ethan appeared to be different from his mother, though.

Beth was one of the ones from Hershel's party who was sobbing the most, as her mother had been one of the unlucky walkers who had been a part of the massacre. Ethan tensed when she managed to break free from Jimmy and run over to the corpse of her mother, his eyes pinning on her. They were wide and alert, like a guard dog's. Daryl kept Ethan from going to her with a firm hand on his shoulder, however, and when his son turned a glare onto him, Daryl silenced him with a subtle shake of his head.

"That ain' ya place – _she_ ain' ya worry!" He hissed to him before nodding towards Jimmy. "That's _his _place – she's _his _worry. And if he can' handle that – if _she _decides that _she _can' rely on him anymore, then that's when ya make ya move." Ethan's lips pursed in slight irritation but he nodded nonetheless as they turned their attention back onto what was happening.

Everyone watched her with sadness in their eyes as she dragged the walker pinning her mother's corpse to the side before shakily - tearfully - flipping her mother over. When Annette Greene almost immediately came to life then, gray, mottled hands grabbing blindly at her daughter's blonde pigtails and clothing, no one there and alive could have beaten Ethan to his feet and matched the time it took for him to sprint over to her. Shoving her gently aside, he pinned the barrel of the shotgun to Annette Greene's head before impassively pulling the trigger. Her head blew open seconds later, splattering them both with blood and bits of gore and while Daryl had to admit that it wasn't exactly the cleanest, nicest way you could have gone about killing her with her daughter kneeling just right there beside you, he had to admit that when his son took her into his arms, she allowed him to with an easiness and smoothness that temporarily made him and everyone else in Hershel's party balk in either shock or surprise, they didn't know.

"Come on Beth, your fine – your _fine_ – I'm here!" He murmured soothingly as she allowed him to haul her up to her feet. Sobbing, she turned around and her arms moved to wrap around his neck then in a way that didn't exactly lean towards friendly. His arms wrapped around her waist in turn as he held her close.

Daryl shook his head in exasperation. Great. Not only was he gonna have to contend with a Roid-angry Shane all the time, Tessa having a baby on the way _and _deal with a distraught Carol wanting to cling even more to him than she already was, but he'd also have to reinforce the Birds and the Bees talk with his thirteen-year-old son who _looked _like he was sixteen and _acted _like he was Glenn's age.

Great - just _fucking g_reat.

Could his life get _anymore _complicated?

* * *

Later that afternoon, after the barnyard massacre was nothing more than an incident in history, the day hadn't ended up growing any better than the day had been before. While Hershel's people wandered slowly back up to the house, Hershel leaning on his daughter while Beth remained sobbing in Ethan's arms, Tessa remained back with Daryl and the rest of their people. Lori had taken Carl back to the camp as well, the little boy's face remaining buried in his mother's side as he continued to sob out his anguish at losing a friend.

"Are ya okay, babydoll?" Daryl asked her and Tessa nodded as he helped her get slowly to her feet. Dale quickly moved over to join them and took a gentle but firm hold on her elbow, helping her as much as he could with just that tiny grip.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just go . . . go check on Ethan!" She told him, her eyes flashing with alarm at the knowledge that he had been the one to take her back up to the house and not her boyfriend, and Daryl nodded, immediately getting the same picture as he moved away from her and back towards the house. Tessa turned to Dale, wiping away a stray tear as she did so.

"What just happened, Dale?" She asked, still slightly dazed, and found herself wishing that she still had Daryl there, his strong arms still wrapped around her and his hand still splayed out on her stomach. The older man's sighing and his weak shrugging brought her out of her thoughts, however, making her realize that, that probably wasn't gonna happen until later that night, when it just her and Daryl alone together in their tent.

"Anarchy just happened, Tess – anarchy fueled by chaos."

Daryl had returned from inside the house by then with Ethan in tow. He jogged quickly down the stairs, the screen door banging shut behind him and Ethan. She could tell that by the tenseness of the two Dixons' body language that they had shared words on the way out. She heaved a sigh as she watched them exchange some more pretty heated words before Daryl pointed towards the camp. Ethan took off at a huff for it at that moment and she shook her head wearily. Great. Now she had the little spat between Daryl and Ethan to deal with as well.

"Could this day get any worse, Dale – for _any _of us?" She asked him wearily and Dale shrugged with the same emotion. She watched as Daryl moved for the Winnebago then, where Carol was surely holing herself up inside crying those silent, stoic tears of hers. She ignored the twinge of jealousy that fired up in her heart but successfully squashed it down seconds later. She knew Daryl and he would _never _look at Carol in that way – especially now that he knew she was pregnant. But she was still human nonetheless and hardly noticed the look of interest on Dale's face as her eyes followed the path he took to the Winnebago.

"You've been watching him with that expression on your face all day. And a number of times you two have even fought! What's going on between you two, Tess?" He asked and Tessa glanced at him as crossed her arms in front of her chest. She shifted nervously from foot to foot. Andrea and T-Dog were still standing behind them and were debating on what to do with the bodies. Tessa glanced behind her at them before turning back to Dale. She knew a lot of people in the group grew anxious whenever she and Daryl fought. She knew damn good and well that the only reason Daryl was being cordial and more . . . _civilized _and open to the rest of the group was because of her and Ethan. Take away those two things and they doubted he would remain the way he was now, for long.

Daryl Dixon was vicious. She had known it since the day she first looked across the highschool lunchroom and saw him sitting alone. She had seen it in his eyes at that moment - the moment she knew almost instantly that he was _that_ kid – that unutterable bad boy who was only _looking _for an excuse to bring a gun to school and blow everyone he hated away. And when she first introduced herself to him and started trying to forge a friendship with him (whatever that may have entailed) and that anger started dissolving and started to give way, she started realizing that there was more to him than just that anger. She started to see that there were really two different people living inside Daryl's head - two different sides of him that were complete opposites from the other and that he - literally - could hop from one to the other at the drop of a hat.

There had also been a number of times throughout their relationship that Tessa found herself remembering the old Cherokee fable her grandmother used to tell her, the one about the two wolves:

_One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."_

_The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"_

_The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."_

Daryl was the poster child for the fable, she found herself steadily realizing, as their relationship progressed from a fragile friendship, to a phenomenal sex affair and then finally, to a tender, loving relationship of the kind that you either read about or only saw in old couples who had been together for thirty some-odd years. Inside Daryl was a very angry wolf – a wolf who was vicious and who could do unparalleled damage when left uncontrolled. However, there was also another wolf inside him that walked side-by-side with that dangerous one. It was a wolf who had the strength to subdue the other as long as Tessa was around him. It was a side of untold loyalty, love and tenderness and granted, he didn't show it to everyone but while Tessa was around him, that good wolf reigned supreme.

While Tessa remained around him, he felt like he was human.

Tessa shrugged, leaving her thoughts when she realized that she had stayed quiet for too long. "It's just . . ." She sighed and shrugged. "Dale, I'm pregnant." She confessed, her voice coming out as blunt as a falling hammer, and Dale's eyes widened in shock.

"You're pregnant _too_?" He asked and Tessa nodded, knowing that he was referring to Lori as well.

"Yeah, we're around the same week along too, we think. I've struggled with telling Daryl since I first found out and when I finally did today, he . . . he doesn't really know what to think, I guess. That's why we've been so cool towards each other lately. Although he seems to be coming around, I think . . ." Her mind reminded her of how tightly he had held her earlier when they reached the barnyard and when she had called to him. She remembered how his hand had immediately moved to cover her stomach and the small, hopeful smile that graced her features was practically infectious. Dale replied with a comforting one of his own as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't you worry Tess! If he hasn't come around to the idea now, then I guarantee you that he will! Daryl loves you – he won't ever abandon you - _that_ I'm confident of!" Tessa smiled in thanks as he continued, "And if you ever need any help with the baby, then please, come to me. I don't have any experience, per say, speaking me and my wife never had children, but I'd love to be the grandfather figure this baby deserves!" Tessa smiled another thankful smile as he hugged the older man tightly. She swore to God at that moment that if Dale ever died, she didn't know what she'd do.

They broke apart at that moment and when Tessa looked up and saw Andrea's slightly jealous look, she immediately scoffed inside. What did the woman expect? She went all G.I Jane, shot Daryl, started antagonizing Dale and then started sleeping with the most insane member of the group! How could she _possibly _expect Dale to react to all that, let alone keep allowing her rake him over the coals every time he grew worried about her?

"I should probably go find Daryl. There are still a few things we need to clear up." She told him and Dale nodded and continued to smile comfortingly as she turned around and began making her way back to camp. However, Andrea's voice coming from behind her caused her to stop. She turned around and didn't pretend to be happy as the blonde woman made her way over to her, a small, still slightly apologetic smile on her face. "What do you want, Andrea?" She asked her coolly, and Andrea shrugged.

"I just . . . I'm wondering how you've been. We haven't talked at all since Daryl came down from the house -"

"And there's a good reason for that!" Tessa interrupted her coldly and Andrea pursed her lips and nodded.

"You're still angry. I get that -"

"No, I don't think you do yet!" Tessa interrupted her again, her eyes narrowing slightly. She took a few steps towards her then, her voice lowering as well. "You _shot _my _boyfriend_, Andrea – the father to my child and the one I'm carrying now!" Andrea's eyes grew wide with shock at the sudden news that she was pregnant but Tessa continued on, keeping her from saying anything. She shook her head in slight disbelief. "Tell me, 'cause I've been wondering this since Hershel patched him up and I actually _had _time to breathe and think, but when you saw Rick and Shane and Glenn and everyone out there grouped around my man – _not doing anything _to him – why did you still pull that trigger?" She shrugged again. "What did we ever do to you?" Andrea shook her head and gave her own shrug.

"I-I . . . I don't know Tessa!" She spoke and Tessa nodded.

"Let me guess: _something came over you_, right?" Andrea didn't reply. She simply stood there, gaping at her like a fish out of water for a moment and Tessa took that time to grin and let out a dry, humorless laugh. "You know, Andrea, ever since you all diked out and learned how to shoot a gun and overall just adopted this _totally _Shane view that your such hot shit and that your own shit don't stink, I think you've lost the ability to know the value of a human life! Like I said, you could have _killed_ him and in that process of killing him, you would have wrongly robbed his son and the child I am carrying, of their father. You would have robbed me of – Hell, my _husband_, because, Hell, why not – we already consider myself his wife in everything but name!" Andrea shook her head.

"Tessa, I've told you I'm sorry but quite clearly, words are not enough and I'm fine with that! I also know that there is absolutely _nothing _I could ever do to -!"

Tessa let out a genuine laugh then, a full-bellied, aching laugh that immediately took Andrea aback and had T-Dog and the others still standing behind them to look over in interest. Even those at the camp looked up to see who the source of the strange noise was coming from and indeed, it _was _a strange noise. Tessa couldn't remember the last time she had laughed that hard or heard anyone else laugh that hard.

Eventually, she regained control of herself long enough to calm herself down and when she did, she placed her hand to her mouth and gazed at Andrea in slight awe. "My God . . . you really do think you can do no wrong, do you? You think you can shoot anything – that you can _do _anything - you can treat anyone however you wish and they cannot do a thing about it - that you _know _everything!" Andrea opened to mouth to interrupt her, but Tessa shook her head, interrupting her as she stepped closer to her, her grin dissolving into one of expressionlessness. "Look, Barbie, I might not be able to hit the broad of a barn with scattershot and I also know that I wasn't exactly level-headed when Shane decided to pull that _seriously _stupid stunt at the barn, but I can _seriously _fuck you up with a knife or a hatchet – Daryl wasn't kidding about that!" She stepped closer to her, to the point where Andrea actually had to take a step backwards. Tessa's teeth gritted with anger, her eyes adopting a particularly Merle-ish tone.

"And I _swear _– to _God_! – that if you _ever _shoot anyone in this camp again that is not a walker – not just Daryl or Ethan – _especially _Daryl or Ethan – I will carve out your heart like it's a fucking turkey dinner and then _eat it_!" She gave a sickly sweet simper then before she spun around on her heels and began walking off in the direction of the camp. "Just consider it part of my rather barbaric genes, sweetie!" She called over her shoulder and it was then that she heard T-Dog let out a long whistle.

"_Damn_, remind me never to get on herbad side!"

Tessa stopped when she heard his voice and turned around, where she shook her head. "Oh no, that's not it T-Dog. Don't you dare mess with those I consider my family. If you do, ya gonna end up having a bad time!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Maddy120296 - I agree :)**

**zaii - Thanks! And yeah, I'm pretty sure is slowly but surely regaining her spunk after that whole Merle-depression thing. I think being around Daryl forces her to lol**

**Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - Second best review I've gotten for the fanfic! XD At first I thought it was too much and then I thought it wasn't enough, but eventually I settled on the way it is now and I'm glad people liked it. And yes, they do make an interesting couple, don't they? ;)**

**Roxxy01 - Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**This chapter contains senseless Tessa and Daryl fluff. And then an interesting conversation with Lori :)**

* * *

It had felt good to get all that off her chest to Andrea, she realized as the camp grew closer and closer to her, her hands shoving themselves down in the front pockets of her jeans as she did so. It was also probably not the best way she could have gone about handling it (she had fed her Evil wolf pretty badly then, she had to admit) but it did feel good – _really_ good! She could hardly look at Andrea lately without wanting to chop her head off for almost killing Daryl and now that she had gotten all that off her chest, she figured she could start to be around the woman a little bit more and have much fewer homicidal tendencies. It was surprising really, and kinda funny. For once, she wanted to kill someone more than Daryl wanted to kill Shane.

"Hey Ethan, where's your daddy?" Tessa called out to him from his place in-between Lori and Carl in front the Grimes' tent. Her heart began to pound in her throat now that she realized just why she had been looking for him in the first place. She felt her anger and good mood at practically cussing out Andrea quickly abate and wanted to let out a groan of unhappiness. Ethan pursed his lips in thought, though, before pointing to the Winnebago.

"He's in there . . . with Carol, I think," He spoke, somewhat tersely and Tessa swallowed heavily and nodded as she moved to the Winnebago. She fought to get her anger under control and hoped that Carol wouldn't try and pull anything with her like she had last time she was hurt and angry. Tessa was still pretty riled up from her confrontation with Andrea and she didn't feel like antagonizing someone else in the group, especially after her and Carol had made somewhat amends.

And besides, whatever Ethan and Daryl had fought about while making their way out of the farmhouse, was quite clearly still on Ethan's mind, for his voice had been quite terse when he told her where Daryl was. Tessa made a quick mental note to have them patch things over later but for now, she had her own worries and problems to deal with.

She knew that moment was probably not the best moment she could have chosen in order to get him to tell her what exactly he was going to tell her before Shane walked up with the guns, especially after the little spat he had, had with Ethan earlier and the barnyard massacre. However, she hadn't exactly gotten her chance earlier that day and understandably, she was pretty anxious to know. She had done it once, she could do it again . . . although why would she when the baby's daddy was never more than five feet away from her at all times, it seemed?

Ethan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he called her back. She stopped and turned around to face him, a small, tight smile appearing on her face. She wanted to get this over and done with this as soon as she could – she didn't have time to stop and ask questions, even if they were coming from her son!

"Yeah, baby?"

"What's wrong?" He asked, as intuitive as ever, and Tessa smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing you need to worry about right now. I just need to talk to your daddy. I'll tell ya about it later, okay?" She asked him and he nodded as she turned back around and continued on her way. Ethan returned back to the conversation he had been having with Lori and Carl – probably about what had happened with Sophia and helping Carl cope speaking Ethan seemed to have everything in his mind under control. But then again, he had always gravitated more towards Glenn in friendship, not Carl and Sophia, so losing the little girl was almost akin to losing another member of the group, not a friend.

The Winnebago was absolutely quiet – as quiet as the grave, in fact, when Tessa opened the door and slowly ascended the steps to the inside. The others were still busy discussing the graves that would be dug for Sophia, Annette and Shawn and they probably wouldn't be done until later. Until then, however, Carol would probably remain sitting in the Winnebago, on the dining sofa, staring morosely out the window like she was already doing. Daryl was sitting on the countertop across from her, the rifle he had used in the barnyard massacre still in his hands. He glanced at her as she entered and she smiled a small smile at him before she turned a soft eye onto Carol.

"Carol, I'm -!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't want your apologies right now, Tessa. I don't want anyone's apologies right now. You have no idea how I feel – how much it hurts losing a child! At least you still have your son - at least you still have Ethan!" She interrupted her, her voice soft yet cold. Her eyes did not move away from the window she was staring out of and Tessa recoiled slightly as she moved closer to Daryl, both to keep herself under control and just because she could. His hand immediately moved to spread out on her lower back where he rubbed her gently. Tessa pursed her lips and nodded in understanding, immediately knowing how Daryl had been able to stay with her that long. He never spoke - only when you wanted or needed him to, which worked out well for Carol at that moment, who was going to snap at everyone at that moment.

That, and she didn't even _want _to know what it felt like losing a child.

"Okay, well I can understand that. I just . . . I need to speak to Daryl for a moment. Is that okay . . .?" She asked and Carol let out a little, sarcastic laugh.

"Why do you need my permission? He's your man, ain't he?" She asked and when Tessa's jaw hardened, it was then that Daryl hopped off of the count he had been sitting on and quickly turned a slightly angry Tessa towards the door. He pushed her passed the door and followed her outside on her heels before she could snap back. The mood Carol was in - the fight they would have would probably not even be funny.

"Don' mind her, babydoll – she's still grievin'!" He explained, his voice quiet and slightly on edge as he snuck a cautious glance at her. Everyone's voice had turned quiet and mournful since that afternoon and the barnyard massacre, and Tessa nodded stiffly as they moved away from the Winnebago and everyone else so that they could speak semi-freely with no one there to overhear them. Lori and her connected eyes from across the cooking fire and they shared a look as Daryl continued to follow her. "What do ya need, Tess?"

Tessa swallowed hard as she stopped and turned to face him. He stopped too and she saw the concern flickering through his eyes although that in no way helped make what she had to say any easier. "Daryl, I just . . ." She trailed off then and it was then that the tears came, completely unbidden to her eyes. After everything that had so recently happened, her heart-lifting conversation with Dale and then her angry tirade with Andrea, she could still cry. Hell, she thought she had run all out of tears during the actual massacre!

"I-I . . ." She shook her head, unable to say anything further and it was then that Daryl took her in his arms in the same warm embrace that he had taken her in earlier. He hugged her to him tightly – protectively – and when his hand wandered down to cover her stomach, much more cautiously this time, she finally found the voice she needed to speak. "I need to know what you were going to say before Shane walked up with the guns," She finished, her voice coming out stronger than she thought it would, and she heard Daryl chuckle for a moment before he slowly drew away from her. His hand left her stomach and he moved to frame her face with his hands, where he brought her tear-stained eyes up to his.

"Tessa, I know that this is . . ." He paused and searched desperately for the right thing to say. He had never been the type of man that was good with words – like some of the others like Rick and Dale. What he couldn't say, he preferred to show, however, this wasn't exactly something he could convey through gestures. This required words – words he never before thought he would use. "I know this is prolly the most unwelcome news we could ever have gotten and I know that I handled it pretty badly when ya first brought it to me, but ya have to believe me when I say that we'll get through this! We've dealt with worse things before this – the shit with Merle . . .!" He told her slowly, and she nodded as he held her gaze more firmly. "Somethin' earlier today made me realize that I could never let ya be alone in this – that, Hell . . .!" He trailed off then, at a temporarily loss for words before he sighed and shot her a slightly wary gaze. "Somethin' made me realize that I actually want this baby, Tess! I don' want ya to get rid of it in whatever fucked up way ya can think of, but that I actually want ya to have it," He took her hands then. "I want ya to have it and then I want us to try our damndest to raise it in this shithole of a world!"

Tears filled her eyes again as she quickly nodded and allowed him to take her into his arms again in another tight, protective embrace. They stood there in silence for a while, Tessa's tears drying up and when they were gone was when she finally broke the silence. "You know what I've been wishing you'd give me for Christmas since we found each other?" She asked him, her voice small and ineffectual, and he grunted that he was listening. She swallowed hard. "It was probably what jinxed us and it was probably stupid to wish for it anyway, because, come on! Are we really gonna celebrate something as small and ineffectual as Christmas in the middle of the walker apocalypse?" She laughed before continuing, "But, despite everything, I couldn't . . . I couldn't help but wish that you would give me a little girl . . ." Daryl laughed a little with a grin.

"Our little Cat Liz . . .?" Tessa laughed too and nodded.

"Exactly – our little Cat Liz!" She agreed and he chuckled as his knuckle moved to gently sit underneath her chin, where he tilted her head back to gaze up at him.

"Well, here's hopin' somethin' good happens to us for once in this Godforsaken world, huh?" He murmured and Tessa nodded in agreement before he kissed her, long and deep and oh-so-deliciously breathtaking.

* * *

"So, how did he take it?"

Tessa grinned and glanced at Lori as the two women stood beside each other by the Winnebago, facing the barn. They watched as Andrea, T-Dog and some of the others worked to sort the bodies from the ones being buried and the ones being burned, Jimmy helping them. Tessa tried to keep the grin from her face when she saw that Beth's boyfriend was spotting a mean looking shiner. She supposed Ethan and him had shared more than a few words.

Tessa shrugged and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "He, uh . . . he took it really well once he had time to think about it," She grinned and bit down on her bottom lip. "He told me he wants me to have the baby . . . that he wants us to try and raise it the best we can within this whole, fucked up world. _We _decided to have the baby, in fact . . ." Lori grinned and laughed and while it first appeared to be a genuine laugh, Tessa could see it was slightly forced. Unlike Tessa, Lori had from day one been antagonistic of her pregnancy. Tessa had too at first, but that had mainly been because of her fear of how Daryl would react to it. Now that she knew how he felt about it – that he was as happy about as she was, she was no longer afraid of it. She felt . . . giddy, instead.

"Wow . . . is Daryl Dixon actually taking some responsibility for once?" She asked and Tessa nodded and laughed as well.

"He loves kids, Lori – he's _always_ loved kids! And really, do you blame him? The only kid he has, he just figured out about a few months ago and had no choice but to allow another man to raise him. And now that I'm pregnant again, he has the chance to do with this child, what he never got to do with Ethan!" She glanced at her. "I like to take credit for how Ethan turned out, Lori, I really do, but the fact of the matter is that Sam helped me raise him from the day he took his first steps – it wasn't just me like I always tell him! But Daryl's not a stupid man and he sees that it wasn't just me and at times, he resents it. Now, he gets the chance I never afforded him the first time around and he's . . . he's happy, Lori. He's grinning for the first time in years I suspect and he's . . ." She shrugged. "He's starting to take down some of his walls too."

"And it's all because of you!" Lori added and Tessa shrugged, her arms remaining crossed in front of her chest. She fought to keep a smug grin from her face but found that it was easier said than done.

"He's still angrier than a hornet and still doesn't even _know _the definition of courtesy and kindness to anything that does not have four legs and fur, but . . ." Lori scoffed.

"Are you kidding me? Have you _seen _what he does to those poor squirrels that he and Ethan bring in?" She asked and Tessa laughed as she shrugged again and glanced at Lori.

"My point _is_ that he wouldn't be my Daryl if he wasn't hot-headed as all Hell, unforgivingly rude and then shockingly crass at the best of times! I wouldn't know how to handle him if he wasn't. And even then, you have to give _him_ some credit too! I haven't exactly been the most stable person lately, especially with all this stuff with Merle coming to light and he stuck by me throughout all of that. For once, _he _was the stable one in the relationship!" Lori smiled.

"Well, let's hope the both of you continue to be stable, okay? For the sake of the baby, if nothing else . . .!" Tessa turned a small, thankful smile onto Lori and even though her friend replied with the same smile, Tessa could tell that it was forced. In fact, a lot of her friend's movements had been false lately, causing Tessa to question whether her relationship with Rick was as stable as they liked to portray to the rest of the group – or as stable as her and Daryl's was anyway. In fact . . . Tessa could probably safely say that if anything, this baby had the potential to _strengthen _their relationship instead of cripple it!

"Is . . . is everything okay with you lately, honey?" Tessa asked her, her voice and expression coming out concerned as she placed a gentle hand on Lori's thin shoulder. The brunette woman gave a weak shrug in reply.

"Rick . . . Rick found my abortion pills yesterday, you remember me telling you that, right?" Tessa nodded, remembering that Lori _had_ told her something like that sometime the previous day before she had retired to bed with Daryl. Lori heaved a sigh and shrugged.

"I think . . . I think we cleared some stuff up when he confronted me about them, but . . ." She shook her head. "I'm not . . . I can't view this the same way that you and Daryl can, Tess!" She confessed and Tessa's eyebrows immediately abandoned the look of concern and adopted a one of confusion instead.

"What do you mean, Lori?"

"The way you two have reacted to the news that you are pregnant – how-how you guys are so . . . so _joyful_ about it . . .!" She shook her head, tears appearing in her eyes as she did so. "I wish I could have that view! I wish to all Hell and back that I could look at Rick and tell him how much I want this baby and then him look back at me and say, with absolute certainty and with as much love in his heart as Daryl does, that he wants this baby too! I want to think of this as a blessing in disguise but . . . but, Tessa, I'm way too much of a coward to think beyond the inevitable agony of childbirth and the pain of losing it if something ever happens to it," She shook her head again as she looked down at her hands nervously wringing in front of her stomach. She sniffed. "I'm not as strong as you are, Tess – I'm not even going to pretend I am! I think that it's impossible that my baby could ever have a good, full life – not in this world – not with me and Rick's relationship the way it is! Now, _your_ baby – you and _Daryl's_ baby . . ." She gave a shrug and a dry laugh. "I'm not as strong as you are, Tess, to think of this baby as anything other than a death sentence for me!" Tessa couldn't help but allow her eyes to widen in shock as she shook her head. Her hand moved to clasp Lori's shoulder again and turn her slightly to face her.

"Lori, how could you think that -?"

Lori shook her head. "Tessa, think about it! We're not going to give birth in a sanitized hospital with those amazing epidurals. Chances are that we are going to give birth in a ditch somewhere in a Hell of a lot of pain and in a Hell of a lot of blood – and that's if Hershel doesn't allow us to stay! If he does allow us to stay, then we're still going to get all of that except for the ditch. We're going to get a bed instead and a vet as our doctor. To me, our chances still do not look that good," Lori glanced at her. "The only difference between us, though, is that you are going to have your man beside you every step of the way."

Tessa couldn't help but stay silent at that, because, after all, what _could_ she say? Everything Lori had said was most probably correct. Chances were that she would give birth in a ditch on the side of the road somewhere or, if Hershel did allow them to stay, in one of the big beds in his house – amidst buckets of blood and excruciating pain. Daryl would most probably be behind her, holding her hands and giving her encouragement that wouldn't really be encouragement because Hell, would she really be listening to him? Hershel would be in front of her, delivering the baby and if it wasn't him, then it would most probably be Carol, as a former nurse.

So many things could go wrong – before _and _after the birth. Without modern luxuries, they were forced back into the medieval age or – at the very most – the pioneer days of giving birth in a field or in a bed with no anesthetics or emergency surgical equipment other than the ones that Shane and Otis had retrieved for Carl. The only comfort – the only _strength_! - she would be afforded, would be the feel of Daryl behind her, his hands clasping hers and the comfortable and familiar hardness of his body behind hers. Lori probably wouldn't even have that much, knowing her and Rick's often on-and-off relationship.

Lori's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she turned her eyes back onto her as Lori shook her head again. "I know I'm going to die, Tess . . ." She told her and immediately, Tess shook her head.

"No, no, Lori – don't say that, honey!" Lori nodded and shrugged out of Tessa's grip.

"I am. Carl was an emergency caesarian section," She told her and when Tessa's eyes grew wide, Lori nodded and let out another dry laugh. "I know, right? I mean, there have been many cases of women who have had C-sections going on to have vaginal deliveries but . . ." She shook her head. "I can't help thinking that, that is not going to work for me. Something inside me _tells _me, that it is not going to work!"

"Ethan was natural," Tessa told her, her voice going quiet. "And when I mean natural, I mean that he was _natural. _He was born in exactly two hours and the physicians at the hospital told me that by the time I would go into actual labor, the epidural would not have had time to work. So, his birth, although relatively easy compared to most, was _extremely_ excruciating. I mean, you cannot even _begin _to describe the pain associated with giving birth to a child naturally!" Lori laughed a little then as she turned an expressionless gaze onto her friend.

"Well then, I guess you have me at another disadvantage then, huh?" Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion again but Lori shook her head and put her hands on her shoulders. Their eyes met and Lori's eyes were unwavering in their intensity, keeping Tessa from saying anything. "Tessa, if either of us is going to survive this, then make no mistake that it will be you. Your strong, you've done this before – Daryl will do _everything_ and _anything _in his God-given power to save you if anything happens – _including_ fighting through an entire herd of walkers to get you anything you need to survive the birth . . .!" She shook her head. "So promise me that if anything happens to me, that you will look after my baby as if it were your own!" Tessa shook her head as she pulled her friend into a hug.

"Lori Grimes, you stop talking like that right now!" She told her, her voice thick with emotion. "You are _not _going to die – we are _both _going to survive this! Our children will grow old together, as will we!" Lori shook her head as they slowly parted, tears appearing in Lori's eyes again.

"I wish I had your confidence, Tess. But please, for my sake – promise me that you'll do this!" Tessa turned a stern gaze onto her.

"If I promise to this completely and utterly insane request, will you stop talking like this – for the rest of the duration of your pregnancy? Talking like this only jinxes you, I swear to God it does!" Lori nodded quickly, her eyes wide with hopefulness, and Tessa heaved a sigh and shook her head in disbelief. "Fine! I, Tessa Night – err, _Dixon_ – promise you, Lori Grimes, that if anything happens to you in childbirth or afterwards, that I will look after your child like it is my own!" She rolled her eyes then. "There – does that make you feel better?" Lori adopted a look of relief on her face and nodded as she grabbed Tessa and pulled her into a tight hug. Tessa recoiled slightly at the quickness and tightness of the hug and it took her a moment before she reciprocated it.

"Yes – Oh God, yes, you have no idea how much better that makes me feel!" She laughed airily and Tessa returned it with a nervous chuckle.

"Lori . . . was you just . . ." Tessa laughed again and shook her head as they parted. "I'm sorry, forgive me if I am totally off mark here, but . . . was you afraid that Rick wouldn't take care of the baby if you died?" Lori's face grew expressionless then as she gave a half-shrug and a nervous laugh.

"You know Rick, Tess! He has a lot on his plate most of the time and I hardly think he would put the needs of one baby ahead of the group!" Her eyes flashed slightly. "He's not Daryl, honey, I hate to say it . . ." Tessa's eyes narrowed slightly.

"He would put the needs of the group even above his own baby? 'Cause to me, that's not exactly just a Daryl thing – that's a _father_ thing . . .!" Lori tensed slightly as she hastily averted her eyes down to the ground beneath their feet.

"I mean, yeah, he'll care for it – it _will _be his baby, after all, but . . . like I said, he's the leader and the leader has a lot of responsibilities and all . . . I doubt he'll have time to constantly look after one child . . .!" She trailed off then but the tenseness of her body language and the quickness with which she averted her eyes away from hers at the mere suggestion of the baby not being Rick's, told Tessa all she needed to know.

_Was_ the baby even Rick's?

Tessa sighed then and her lips pursed. Her voice was small and gentle when she finally spoke. "You know, Lori . . . Sam raised Ethan, even though he knew Ethan wasn't his. He _loved _Ethan, even though he _knew_ Ethan wasn't his. He loved Ethan because he loved _me _and because Ethan, in turn, was mine. He didn't care who his father was – as long as he was mine, he would love him!" She told her and Lori turned a slightly hopeful gaze onto her. Tessa shook her head. "Rick's a good man, Lori. I think, regardless if the baby isn't his – which is it!" She added hurriedly before continuing on. "That he would love it regardless because it is _yours_ – _just _like Sam did with me and Ethan!"

"You think?" Lori asked in a voice she hoped came out sounding casual and nonchalant but which really was mired in doubt. Tessa nodded firmly – confidently.

"Of course – I know so!" Her smiled grew comforting then as she gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You don't have to worry, Lori - I'm not the only one with a Daryl!"


	21. Chapter 21

**zaii - Yeah I know the actual birth isn't going to happen until the next part (which is the beginning of season three) but I already have the gender picked out and the name and everything. I know you guys won't be disappointed - I know Daryl and Tessa won't ;)**

**Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - I love your reviews. Seriously I do lol - they are so amazing :) I get a grin on my face whenever I open an email and see its a review from you. I know that Daryl is this badass guy but I always envisioned him with a soft side and since adults have fucked him over since his childhood, then the only things left in my mind, are kids and animals, which is why he spent so long looking for Sophia. And since Tessa was there for him since their adolescence and not their adulthood, I think she kinda managed to . . . slide underneath that closing door of trust, I guess. And yeah, you'll figure out how Jimmy got hit in this chapter :)**

**scoobydoo0811 - Thanks for reviewing! I know this is rare for writer's to say, but I actually like writing fluff, Daryl in particular. I don't know why, maybe because I like trying to find that balance between badass tough guy and soft, total sweetheart. That's a balance not easily found. And like I said earlier, I love Tessa too - she's probably my favorite OC I've ever written and I'm glad you like her and you can relate to her - I've been having a challenge with that when it comes to my OCs. And a part will be coming up soon (like, next chapter!) where I hope Tessa turns up her badass meter just a little bit :)**

**Not really anything to say about this chapter other than Daryl and Ethan kinda reach the first hitch in their father/son relationship . . . so I guess just read, review and enjoy!**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

The funeral for Annette, Shawn and little Sophia, was a much more somber affair than the one for Otis had been. Everyone found themselves grouped around the three freshly dug graves and even Carol was there, standing solemn and seemingly uncaring between Rick and Andrea. Nothing much of anything had been said and when the so called "funeral" was done (if you could even call it that speaking nothing had actually been said) they all parted and went back to whatever they were doing until then. Daryl immediately stalked back to the two tents they used, one for them and one for Ethan and told them to start packing their things up when they reached it. Tessa and Ethan's eyebrows immediately furrowed in slight confusion.

"Where are we going?" Tessa asked, and Daryl stood then, his eyes pinning briefly onto Shane over her shoulder before he turned them back onto her.

"Ever since that little stunt he pulled at the barn, I'm not even gonna _pretend_ that dumbass is sane anymore!" He told them. "So that spot up on the hill over yonder – the one with the crumbling chimney – we've movin' our shit up there. Seems like a good place to be if he snaps again 'cause me and Ethan will see him comin' from all sides." Tessa swallowed hard as Ethan gave him a glare of disbelief. However, it was Tessa that ended up replying to him.

"Daryl honey, are you _sure -_?"

"Tessa, babydoll, don't forget that you're pregnant!" Daryl reminded her quietly and she nodded.

"Yeah, it's kinda hard to forget that little fact of life . . .!" She spoke with a little laugh and he gave a short sigh as one hand curled around her hip, bringing her closer to him as the other flattened out on her stomach. His eyes were unwavering when he turned his gaze onto her.

"Thing is, with Shane actin' the way he is, I don' want us bein' down her - not _one _of us!" He added, his eyes holding Ethan's for a moment before flickering back onto Tessa's. Her eyes became wide and pleading as he continued, "and call it me bein' paranoid, but I don' want _ya _around him, _pregnant_!"

"What's he gonna do, deddy?" Ethan couldn't help but ask him, his tone coming out snider than Tessa would have liked. "Is he gonna figure out momma's pregnant, go into a jealous rage and then cut her baby out?" Tessa flinched at her son's vivid imagery but Daryl simply shrugged coolly, his hands leaving her, the warmth disappearing.

"Dunno, but given what happened this afternoon, I don' think we can put anythin' past him, now can we?"

"Daryl, God knows that I am _long_ used to the Dixon paranoia! I also happen to agree that Shane is _clearly_ losing it! But, however, I don't agree with you when you say that we need to be separated that far from the group – even _with _you with us." Tessa told him and Daryl opened his mouth to reply, however, Ethan smoothly interrupted him.

"She's right deddy. There's safety in numbers. We're all alone out there – it'll take a good walk or a run to get down here -!"

"Yeah, well, I'm thinkin' 'bout ya momma right now, Ethan, and ya little brother or sister's safety, not how long it'll take ya to get down here for ya little meetings with ya girlfriend!"

You could practically hear the stinging slap that Daryl had just delivered to Ethan with his words and before Tessa could say anything to diffuse the situation, Ethan's face had gone beet red. He glared at Daryl for a moment, Daryl expertly and impassively glaring him back before Ethan threw his hands up into the air in exasperated disbelief when he realized that he wasn't going to win - not against his father, anyway.

"You know what - _fine_! Move our shit up there -!"

"_Ethan_! Watch your language!"

"Move our _stuff _up there, then!" He quickly corrected himself with an impassive glance in his mother's shocked direction. "But _don't_ expect me to help ya'll!"

And that was that. Ethan spun around on his heels at that moment and stomped back towards the farmhouse, where Glenn was already making his way up to it too. Tessa gazed after him for a moment, a shocked look on her face that she only pinned on Daryl when she turned back around to face him, her hands moving to her hips. "Daryl, what was that about?" She asked him, her voice coming out cautious and curious all at the same time, and he waved her away as he bent down to collect their things.

"Aw, it's nothin' ya need to worry 'bout. He's prolly still miffed at me for draggin' him away from Beth earlier."

"Was it that bad?"

"_He _made it that bad!" He replied, a little angrily and defensively as he suddenly stood back up. Tessa recoiled slightly at the suddenness and defensiveness of it, her eyes growing wide as she did so. Quite obviously there was still something more to the story than what Daryl was initially letting on! She wouldn't have to wait long to hear it, however, for almost immediately after speaking the first time, was he already heaving a heavy sigh and launching into the full tale. "I went in there to get him like ya told me to and when I enter the dinin' room where everyone was gathered, I see him already in a fistfight with that _boyfriend _of hers – a fistfight that Hershel had to get in the middle of and pull apart. What's the kid's name again . . .?"

"Jim-my . . .?" She asked him, her voice still careful and he nodded.

"Jimmy – yeah, Jimmy! Anyway, they were already pretty heavily into it – Maggie said it had somethin' to do 'bout how Jimmy didn' like the way Beth was holdin' onto Ethan when he ran over to her – didn' like that either, by the way - so finally, Hershel managed to tear them apart. Ethan had done given the kid a nasty lookin' shiner too - and tells Ethan that he better leave. I'm already there, so what do I do? I grab him by the scruff of neck and I pull him from the room. I end up pullin' the kid out of the house with absolutely no problem. But then, when we get outside, he suddenly yanks himself out of my grip and then tells me that I need to stop buttin' into his business and that _ya _need to stop buttin' into his business too!" Tessa recoiled in shock at that.

"_Me_? What the Hell did I do?" Daryl shrugged, a beats-me look on his face.

"What the Hell did _I _do? Well . . . _other_ than pull him out of a fight that he could have potentially gotten his teeth kicked down his throat in, although I doubt it! He is my son, Merle _is _his uncle and he _was_ kickin' some serious ass when I walked in there and if he couldn' _continue _to kick some serious ass after me showin' up, as well as havin' those genes in him, then I still need to teach him a thing or two!" Tessa rolled her eyes.

"_Daryl_!"

"What? Oh yeah! Well, that's jus' what he told me anyway, and we've kinda been miffed at each other since." She rolled her eyes again.

"He's probably just going through a phase. He _is _a teenager, ya know, although I don't appreciate him getting into fights in the slightest!"

Daryl shrugged her worries away. "Aw, he's just a teenage boy, Tess – teenage boys get in fights – it's natural. But he _is_ gettin' in fights 'cause of a woman - an _older_ woman . . .!" He muttered, throwing a slightly apprehensive look back towards the farmhouse where him and Glenn had so recently disappeared into. "Don' suppose we need to reinforce the Birds and the Bees talk with him, do we . . .?"

"Daryl, he's _thirteen -_!"

"Don' try and pull that argument with me, Tess, 'cause it won' work!" Daryl interrupted her with a shake of his head. "He's a thirteen-year-old who looks like he's sixteen and who acts like he's Glenn's age. He's already gettin' involved with a seventeen-year-old girl who already has a boyfriend and a very overprotective father! I'm pretty sure we might wanna reinforce the Birds and the Bees talk with him 'fore it gets too late!" Tessa let out a snort of a laugh as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You think _I _am? Think again, darlin' – _you _are!" Daryl's eyes widened in shock as he continued to gaze up at her.

"_I _am?" Tessa nodded.

"You betcha, Daryl! You're the man of the family and he's your son. So, using that logic it's _your_ job to inform _your_ son, no matter what his age is, on how to be smart when he goes splashing around in rain puddles! If and when we have a daughter, then it'll be my turn!" Daryl grinned as he got to his feet.

"No offense, babydoll, but I don' think I'm exactly the best person to be talkin' to him about wearin' his . . ." A sneer appeared on his face then. "His _rubbers_ whenever he goes splashin' 'round in all his favorite rain puddles!" He replied, still grinning, as he leaned down and kissed her, his hand moving down to plant on her stomach, as if to further drive the point home. Tessa thought she would never get tired of feeling his hand on her stomach, over the spot where their baby slumbered beneath her heart. When she had been pregnant with Ethan, she used to _hate_ the feel of Sam putting his hands on her stomach, to the point to where it could make her snap at him in anger quicker than anything. But with Daryl . . . Daryl, she found, was very different. She didn't know if it was because the baby was his or because his hands felt so gentle and respectful when they touched her, but it felt so good to have his hand on her stomach.

When they broke apart, he smiled reassuringly down at her. "I'll talk to him, don' worry, but at the same time, I wouldn' worry none either, Tess. Ethan's a good kid – he's got a good head on his shoulders – ya raised him right! He knows better – he's smarter than we're givin' him credit for, I'm sure of it." Tessa sighed and nodded in hopeful agreement before she glanced towards their tent standing beside them. Her eyes narrowed slightly and a small, slightly teasingly sly smile appeared on her face.

"Let's stay down here, okay – at least until Shane snaps again, which will probably happen again, knowing him. He won't do anything here in the camp and whenever you're not here, I promise that I'll stay practically glued to Lori or Maggie's hip, okay?" Her face softened as his arms moved to loop around her waist, where he pulled her to him. She ran her fingers across his lips and his eyes stayed glued to hers as he kissed each individual pad as they skated over the slightly chapped flesh and she stopped the hitch in her breath from happening. "And besides, it'll smooth things over a little bit between you and Ethan and right now, I don't think that could hurt, you know? _And_ not-to-mention . . ." She trailed off and glanced towards the tent again. "Do you really want to tear them both down and put them back up again all in the same day? Then you'll be _exhausted_ and that just simply won't do for tonight!" His grin grew just a little bit bigger.

"And what were you plannin' on doin' with me tonight, Mrs. Dixon?" A smooth shiver of warmth crawled up her spine at being called that and she smiled lazily as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her.

"You'll have to wait and find out, Mr. Dixon, but only if we stay down here instead of taking up a bunch of energy to move up there!" She simpered and Daryl heaved a sigh before nodding.

"Fine, I guess. But only 'cause I'm too lazy to move everythin' up there right now!" He told her and Tessa grinned and rolled her eyes as she turned around and moved into the tent to fold up their clean clothes and separate them into piles – those that would stay with them and those of Ethan's that would go with him.

"Yeah, yeah - ya seemed to have plenty of enthusiasm to move our shit up there a few minutes ago!" She quipped and Daryl grinned evilly as he stuck his head into the tent.

"Yeah, but that was before I figured out that I'd get a hot piece of ya ass if we stayed down here! Rule number one ya need ta know about men, babydoll – wherever sex is concerned, we ain' passin' it up within good reason!"

Tessa grinned and gave another incredulous shake of her head as she continued sorting through the clothes. Daryl glanced either way while she remained distracted, making sure no one was around, before grinning and ducking quickly inside. His arms wrapped around her waist as he fell to the side, Tessa letting out an immediate shriek of laughter as she had no choice but to go with him. They rolled a couple of times until Tessa found herself suddenly being pinned to the ground, Daryl above her with a more than satisfied smirk on his face. He slid his knee in between hers to push them apart so that he could lie in-between them before he leaned down and kissed her slowly, letting out a growl of appreciation when he felt her fingers skim lightly up his sides underneath his shirt, careful of his stilled stitched side before skating upwards to grasp his shoulders from behind. She felt the puckered, raised flesh of the numerous scars littering the plain of his back as they went and he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as her thighs gave a squeeze on his hips ever-so-slightly.

"Patience is a virtue, Daryl . . ." Tessa grinned, her voice coming out in a playful sing-song voice as his lips moved down to suckle at the pulse-point of her throat for a moment. She felt Daryl take his lips away from her skin to turn a grin down onto her.

"Are ya makin' fun of me, Tess? 'Cause that voice tells me ya were makin' fun of me!" He asked with an amused arch of his brow. He rolled his hips against hers as he spoke and she gasped and bit down on her bottom lip.

"It's not making fun if I'm simply stating fact! Patience _is_ a virtue and you are one _very _impatient man, Daryl . . . you always have been . . ." She continued to gasp out as he continued the slow, torturous roll of his hips against her clothed core. She remained grinning like the Cheshire Cat nonetheless, even when he undid a few buttons on her shirt – just enough for him to slip a hand into her top to grasp and knead one of her breasts through her thin white cotton bra. She let out a slight moan as she brought her arms up and around his neck, where she wove her fingers through the downy hair on the back of his neck.

"That could be it . . . or maybe I'm jus' smart enough to realize that I could get that piece of ass now 'stead of havin' to wait 'til later!" He grinned back and she bit down on her bottom lip as he moved rolled his hips slightly more different against her, enjoying watching her expression change. Eventually, she grinned as she pushed him to kneel above her. She worked at undoing his belt and jeans as he pulled his shirt over his head, her lips meeting the skin just underneath his belly button as she did so. He let out a guttural moan as her hand came up to rub him through his pants and she was just about to slide down his zipper when a voice cut through the heated stillness of their tent – the sound thudding between them like a damn anvil:

"Daryl – you over here?"

Daryl immediately let out an angry growl from the back of his throat and allowed his chin to fall against his chest when they heard Lori calling out his name. He was about to yell for the annoying woman to go away but Tessa grinned and reached up, where she covered his mouth with one hand as his head came up. Beautiful blue eyes looked down and met hers and she shook her head.

"We should probably go see what she wants. It could be important," She told him before smiling apologetically. "Rick could need you for something, you know, and better you than Shane!"

Daryl sighed and nodded in reluctant agreement as he moved back off of her a few steps, rubbing his face in sexual frustration as he did so. "Ya - ya friggin' little tease - have _no idea_ how hard I'd plow ya into the ground right now!" He hissed to her and Tessa immediately began laughing as Lori called his name again, her voice sounding much closer to the tent that time. Daryl couldn't help but return her grin as he got to his feet and moved towards the entrance of the tent, doing up his pants and belt as he went and hoped that the bulge in his black jeans wasn't that easy to see. Tessa was hot on his heels and Lori shot her a curious look upon seeing the state of her slightly rumpled hair and slightly undone shirt, as well as her flushed skin. Her eyes flickered to Daryl's bare chest and her eyes widened slightly at the heavily scarred surface and then his stitched side but passed it by when she met Daryl's eyes. She shoved her hands down into the front pockets of her jeans in slight nervousness.

"I'm . . . sorry to be interrupting something, but listen – Beth's in some kind of catatonic shock. We need Hershel," She told him and Daryl glanced down at Tessa before shrugging his shoulders, his thumbs moving to hook into his two front belt loops as he did so.

"Yeah – so the fuck what? What do ya want me to do 'bout it?" He wasn't about to tell Lori that Beth was Ethan so-called 'crush', nor was he going to announce that the thought her being in this catatonic shock thing gave them the time they needed to try and get through to their son. And judging by the way Tessa was staying as tight-lipped as he was, he figured she wasn't about to say anything either.

Not-to-mention she had just interrupted him when he was about to get laid and his dick possibly sucked. Damn right he wasn't about to do anything she told him to, even if she asked nicely!

Lori sighed. "_So_, I need you to run into town real quick and bring him and Rick back!" She told him, almost as if he had been stupid not realizing what she had needed of him earlier, when they had first heard her walking towards them. He immediately pinned her with a 'who-the-fuck-do-you-think-you-are?' look and Tessa bit down on her bottom lip as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Daryl, baby, you need to wait a minute before you start -!"

"Ya bitch went window-shoppin'," He told her, his tone immediately coming out angry and snappish. He spoke before Lori or Tessa could speak any further and by the way Lori recoiled in slight shock that he would talk that way to her in front of Tessa, almost made him laugh - almost. Bitch obviously didn't know him that well. "You want him, go fetch him yourself!" He glanced down at Tessa. "I've got better things to do . . ."

Tessa blushed slightly at the meaning behind his words as Lori simply shook her head. "What is the matter with you?" She couldn't help but ask him, a defensive tone appearing to her voice and by the way Daryl's body tensed again, Tessa immediately knew this was quickly not heading in a good direction and it would be better for Lori's feelings in the long road if she simply shut up. "Why would you be so selfish?"

Daryl's teeth gritted and his eyes stormed over in anger. Tessa did the same as her grip on his shoulder tightened and as her other hand came up to grasp his bicep. Her knuckles immediately turned white and it took Lori a moment to realize that, that was because she was _holding him back __ . . . _with just that little grip on his arm! "Daryl, baby, please wait a minute -!"

"_Selfish_?" Daryl asked her in abject disbelief. "Listen Olive Oyl, I was out lookin' for that girl _every single day_! I took an arrow and a bullet in the process and I almost died - I almost lost ma own _family_ for that little brat! So don' ya talk to me 'bout gettin' ma hands dirty!" He gestured to Tessa standing beside him as he spoke, and shook his head. "I gotta look out for ma family now - I gotta keep 'em foremost in ma mind, especially now that Tess is pregnant. Ya want those two idiots, go have a nice ride - I'm _done_ lookin' for people!" He ducked back into the tent then and Lori watched him go for a minute before turning around and walking off. Tessa adopted a pleading look in her eyes.

"Lori, wait a minute –! Daryl, why did you do that?" She demanded, slightly angry as she wheeled around to face him when he finally stepped back out of the tent. His shirt was back on and his crossbow was strapped to his back. He gazed at Lori's retreating figure for a moment before bending down and pecking Tessa on the apple of her cheek. She allowed him to, her impatience at waiting for her answer growing.

"I'll get that piece of ya ass later. I'm goin' huntin'."

He stalked off then, leaving Tessa weakly standing there, feeling like she had just walked into an important business meeting and missed something.


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - Another awesome review LOL. And yeah, I always thought Daryl was completely in the right in the show when Lori basically just . . . _demanded_ that he go get Rick and everyone in town. She really acted like he was Glenn - an errand boy - and he's not. He could kick your ass and then eat it afterwards ha ha. I'm kinda liking writing Beth and Ethan too and I'm still on the fence on whether or not I want to keep them together or create an OC Family with a girl more his age but I don't know - depends on what my fans want, I guess lol. And from what Daryl said, Jimmy didn't throw that many punches at all, although I do like to think he landed one or two ;)  
**

**Maddy120296 - I like to think that Tessa is the only one that can semi-keep a leash on Daryl's anger and she does it out of . . . the good will of her heart (I guess LOL) simply for the safety of the person that ill will is directed towards. So, she might have thought Lori would have been completely in the wrong, she's just apprehensive of Daryl's anger, if that made any sense lol**

**Yeah, hopefully this chapter causes Tessa to turn up her badass meter _just _a little bit. Its not _that_ much on the badass meter, I guess - not compared to Daryl - but I did have an extremely fun time writing this chapter nonetheless :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"Hey Lori, wait up a minute, will ya?!"

Lori turned around when she heard Tessa's voice quickly coming up behind her, only to see the woman jogging her way over to her, clothes and hair now righted into the near perfect state they always seemed to be in. She smiled when she reached her and slowed to a stop. "I'll come with you." She spoke and Lori gave her a curious look.

"Are you sure? Daryl sounded like he pretty much put his foot down about the whole matter a minute ago." She spoke and Tessa shrugged and gave a dismissive wave towards the general direction that Daryl had disappeared to.

"Yeah, but that's Daryl for you. Contrary to what he might think sometimes, he does _not_ control me. I _want_ to go with you so I'm going to go with you – it's my decision! And besides – it'll give ya some company!" She gave her a grin and a wink then and Lori grinned as she nodded and led her to the car, checking the pistol she withdrew from her pocket as she did so. Tessa impassively eyed the gun for a moment as she walked around to the passenger side door, fingering the large knife she had strapped to her thigh underneath her coat. Good thing she had snuck Daryl's hunting knife before she left. She didn't entirely know for sure if Lori knew how to work that gun and even though she herself certainly did, it was no secret that she couldn't aim to save her life - literally! At least with a knife, she had protection that she could count on – at least for herself!

"You ready to go?" Lori asked her and Tessa nodded as the got in the car, backed up and then pulled into the driveway. "Will ya hand me that map over there?" Lori asked her once they had been driving for a minute, and Tessa nodded as she reached down into the floorboard and brought up the road map. She handed it to Lori and the woman propped it up against the steering wheel as she began tracing their route to the town.

"So, can I ask you a question? It's been kinda bugging me all day . . ." Tessa spoke and Lori nodded as she glanced up briefly before turning her attention back onto the map.

"Sure – shoot." Tessa nodded and waited a minute finding her voice before she finally spoke.

"Is the baby . . . is your baby Shane's?"

For a minute after she asked the question, Tessa thought Lori would slam on the brakes and give them whiplash before demanding she get out of the car. But surprisingly the woman kept her cool although her movements had become much more mechanical than they had been.

"How . . .?" She began to ask but then stopped herself when she realized that by how she had acted in their conversation earlier, that it had been pretty obvious. She smiled a small, weak smile instead and settled on brevity. "Was it that obvious from our conversation?" Tessa immediately let out a laugh and a nod of her head.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry, but it was _pretty _obvious!" She spoke and Lori grinned and laughed.

"It's just . . ." She began but couldn't finish. She smiled a slightly small smile and shook her head. It was then that Tessa gently butted in.

"You thought Rick was dead . . .?" Lori nodded, gratefully.

"Yes - yes, _thank you_! I thought Rick was dead and-and Shane was there – he was there _for me . . ._!" She shook her head. "And . . . and I had slept with guys before Rick – of course I had! It's just . . ." She shrugged. "I married Rick _so young_, Tess,and for the longest time, the only man I had _ever_ slept with was Rick! I guess . . . I guess Shane was also a change of scenery, you know?" Tessa nodded.

"Daryl was my first and he was . . . it was an _amazing _first for it being _his _first time too – an amazing first that carried over into phenomenal repeats that only ended up getting better as we progressed as a couple. Then . . . then came Merle and after that I was pregnant and after I had Ethan, then came Sam. And yeah, I had a few affairs when I was with Sam but other than that . . ." She shrugged. "I was never really . . . never really promiscuous, I guess you could say." Lori's eyes furrowed.

"What about that other guy - the guy that was with Merle in the barn?" Tessa glanced at her before returning her eyes onto the road before them.

"You mean Dennis? Oh no, he didn't actually . . ." She trailed off and shook her head, a hard look appearing in her eyes. "He didn't actually _fuck_ me – that was Merle's pleasure and Merle's pleasure _only_. I thank . . ." She trailed off and stayed silent for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "I thank Merle every day for having that much decency, at least, although I doubt it was that much of a good intention so much as Merle only being his normal selfish self!"

Lori nodded as they fell into a comfortable silence then as she went back to tracing their route on the map, turning onto another street as she did so. "Dammit, I think we took a wrong turn right there -"

"LORI, WATCH OUT!"

Lori immediately looked up at Tessa's frightened voice and immediately gasped and stomped on the brakes when she saw the walker lumbering out into the middle of the road. The tires of the car screeched on the dry pavement and the smell of burning rubber filled the air as Lori hit the walker head-on.

"Slow down – _slow down_!" Tessa yelled but Lori wasn't listening. Either she was panicked and frightened over what just occurred or she just wasn't thinking, but the car ended up going faster and when it hit the small hill on the side of the road, it ran up it at an angle, causing the car to fly through the air and roll several times until it was lying on its side on the side of the road not far from where they had hit the walker.

When everything was over and done with and everything lay still, Tessa found her breathing was tearing harsh and ragged from her chest. Lori was already passed out beside her, blood slowly creeping out from a gash on her forehead, but Tessa seemed to still be conscious. She felt a sharp pain in her leg but passed it by as everything started to fall out of focus and her vision started to blacken. She moaned out a miserable protest but her body didn't listen to her. She remembered screaming out Daryl's name before her entire vision went black.

* * *

The sound of a turn signal caught in perpetual "On" mode, filled Tessa's senses what seemed like seconds later, even though she knew it had to have been hours since they last sped along that hill and flipped the car. The sound of the turn signal was accompanied by the cacophony of a hissing totaled engine and the squeaking of a wheel as it was caught in a seemingly perpetual rotation. Tessa's mouth felt as dry as cotton as she clawed her way to consciousness, however, when she did so, she immediately regretted it. Pain slammed deeply into her skull, almost like someone had hit her upside the head with a brick, and knives seemed to be clawing and digging their way into her left thigh. The coppery taste of blood hung thick in her mouth and vaguely, she could hear the sounds of low moaning and the scraping of nails on metal.

She ignored that for the moment, and let out a grunt as she shifted instead, feeling a new spear of pain lance through her thigh as she did so which caused her to immediately cease all movements. She slowly opened her eyes instead which turned out to be another bad idea. Her eyes were quickly assaulted by flashes of bright white light that faded after a moment before they were flooded by a thick redness that she immediately knew by the smell and thickness was blood. She blinked a couple of times, trying unsuccessfully to rid her eyes of the substance before she gave up and eventually raised her hand to them to wipe the fluid away instead. She was terrified inside at what she would find, to the point to where her fingers shook as they trailed up from her cheek to the gash on her forehead stretching the length of her right eye. She immediately let out a laugh of relief when she realized that the gash was the cause of the blood in her eye and not because she was missing one!

The pain in her thigh was starting to grow ignorable now that she was fully conscious, and once she had sufficiently wiped away enough of the blood from her eyes to be able to see, she looked down at the growing patch of scarlet blood that fanned steadily out on her dark-washed blue jeans. She had to gag to hold back the vomit that threatened to rise, as well as the scream that threatened to issue forth from her lips when she saw what was wrong. She fought to keep herself from passing out at the sight as well.

And of course, it hadn't been so bad until she had looked at it. She could have ignored the pain if only she hadn't looked down and saw the long blade of Plexiglas lodged deeply within her thigh, straight into the muscle.

"Oh shit . . . oh shit, oh shit, _oh shit_!" She couldn't help but hiss, her voice growing more and more panicked as she sat there staring at it. It was at that moment, too, that she finally gave the sound of hungry moans and the scraping of nails on metal, the attention it deserved. After looking up from her hanging position in the passenger side, she saw the two walkers trying to claw and find their way into the car to get to her and Lori. "Oh fuck . . . oh _Goddammit_ - where the fuck is Daryl when I need him?" She hissed before she turned to look at Lori still lying unconscious beneath her. "Lori . . . Lori, honey, you need to wake up right now!"

The brunette woman that had gotten them into this mess to begin with, finally clawed her way to consciousness right when a walker was trying to press his face through a hole in the Plexiglas windshield – the broken Plexiglas windshield that Tessa currently found a pretty decent sized shard lodged deep within her thigh. She let out a mounting scream but Tessa immediately shushed her with a sharp hiss.

"Shut up Lori – do you wanna attract more than just these two . . . _gooks_?" She hissed to her, thinking up the most racist slur she could think of to let some of her anger out. Lori immediately quieted and Tessa silently thanked Merle for being such the damn racist pig he was around her and for giving her the slur she needed to blow off some much needed steam. Lori's eyes flitted down to the shard of Plexiglas lodged in Tessa's side and her eyes grew wide in horror at the sight before they moved back up to her face. Tessa's teeth were gritted with the pain and even her body was tense and hard. Her eyes were closed as if she was trying to damndest to separate herself from the pain and Lori shook her head.

"Oh my God, Tess - I'm so sorry!" She hissed and Tessa shook her head.

"Apologize to me later because right now, we've got to get out of here before these two boneheads figure out that my window is smashed in!" She told her, nodding to the window above her and Lori's eyes immediately flew to it and she nodded.

"What do we do?" She asked and Tessa at first wanted to say, "Beats me" but quickly decided against it. Right now, she needed to be the smart one – the survivalist – the _Daryl_. And as soon as those words popped into her head, she immediately began thinking about what Daryl would do if he was in their situation. Not that he would ever have _put _himself in their situation to begin with, but that was beside the point!

"I can't really . . . I can't really move with this leg," She began, swallowing hard as she did so, her voice coming out as calm and level as she could make it. Lori was a follower, she wasn't a leader. She needed to be told what to do, especially in a situation like this and she _certainly _didn't work well under pressure. That left Tessa deciding how they would do things and, in the process, left her the decider of their fates too. It wouldn't be good if she lost her cool. No pressure.

"The glass, it . . . it makes my life pure agony whenever I move my leg in the slightest! You need to get out somehow and then kill the two walkers. We'll think about getting me out of this death-trap then . . ." Lori nodded and swallowed heavily as well. She saw the slightly apprehensive, totally fearful look in her eyes as she unbuckled herself from the seat and then clawed her way to the smashed open window above the still strapped in Tessa, being extremely careful of Tessa's leg as she did so. The walker was still trying to squeeze his way in through the hole in the broken windshield to get to Tessa and Tessa found herself very thankful that the Plexiglas looked like it wasn't going to give any further at that moment.

"Hurry up, Lori!" Tessa grunted and Lori glanced down at her.

"Well, it's kinda hard to do this when I'm trying to avoid hitting your leg!"

"Yes, please don't! If I pass out, we're both dead!"

Lori didn't bother arguing with her and Tessa knew that she wouldn't – not at that moment, anyway. All she wanted to do was get out of that death-trap, get the shard of Plexiglas out of her leg and then make it back to the farm where Hershel could patch her up. She wanted Daryl and she wanted her son and there would be nothing on the face of the planet that would keep her from accomplishing that!

She was brought out of her thoughts by Lori suddenly letting out a fearful gasp. She lost her strength and fell back inside, the heel of her foot hitting Tessa's leg in the knee as she did so. Tessa immediately out a scream as pain slammed into her leg, her eyes squeezing shut until they hurt as well. Her hands immediately moved to tightly grasp her thigh, the limb setting up a pounding pulse as Tessa temporarily saw stars explode behind her closed eyelids. "Oh fucking - God_dammit_!" She hissed as she fought bloody murder to will the pain away, her teeth chattering as she did so. Tears stung her eyes but she forced them to stay back as well. She had to keep her cool – she had to be Mrs. Joe Cool - she _had _to be Daryl . . .!

"I'm fine, Lori, I'm fine!" She quickly assured the woman underneath her and she swallowed heavily as she nodded her head. "Try again . . . and _please_, for the love of God, be more careful this time! I don't think I could handle that monster again!" Lori nodded, tears in her eyes as she jumped up and grabbed onto the edges of the smashed open window. The walker in the window had his hand partially through the glass and Tessa shook her head, her eyes widening when she saw that the walker was steadily gaining entrance into the totaled vehicle. "Lori, I don't mean to rush you, but until you kill these freaks, I'm kind of a sitting duck!"

Lori dropped back down and looked around for a weapon instead. The walker now had his head and shoulders as well as an arm in and Tessa yelled for her to reach for Daryl's hunting knife she had strapped to her thigh over the snarling of the walker. Lori had just enough time to yank out the knife before the walker sunk a hand deep into her hair, causing her to let out a pained scream as her head was yanked back, pinning her back against the broken windshield. Tessa yelled for her to hurry up as she grasped the knife's handle and drove it into the walker's eye socket behind her. The walker immediately stilled and they both let out a giant sigh of relief.

"I'm _so _glad I nicked Daryl's knife before I left . . .!" Tessa breathed out and Lori nodded in agreement as she yanked it out of the walker's head. She then gave Tessa a 'hold-on' look before crawling through the back and opening the back door. She screamed when another walker grabbed ahold of her and Tessa yelled her name in panic, her heart immediately racing. She couldn't see Lori, she didn't know what was happening – all she knew was that, judging from Lori's frightened scream, the other walker had grabbed ahold of her.

Lori allowed the walker to have her jacket before sweeping one of her legs through his, bringing him to the hard asphalt. The walker was steadily crawling up her body as she crawled to the grass and it was then that she remembered the hunting knife she still had in her hands. Grasping it by the handle again, she turned around and stabbed it through the second walker's head, just like she had the first one. She twisted it as she yanked it free and then ran around to Tessa's side of the car.

"I did it – I got rid of them!" She breathed and Tessa nodded, a pained smile crossing her face.

"Great job Lori, but forgive me if we don't dwell on it for long! You still have to get me out of here and _very _gently! This leg is excruciating to move even the tiniest bit!" Lori nodded as her eyes quickly scanned the car around her.

"I don't suppose you can crawl yourself out like I did?" Tessa shook her head.

"No fucking way! I'd pass out from the pain halfway through! Then you'd have to lug my dead weight out and we both can't afford that time!" Lori cursed under her breath before her eyes landed on the smashed open window above her.

"What if you unbuckle yourself and land on your good leg? You could pull yourself out that way and then slide yourself down." Tessa swallowed heavily again as she gazed up at the window above her.

"It's gonna hurt . . ."

"Every way of getting you out is gonna hurt without help and I refuse to leave you alone for that long! And besides, Daryl would _kill me_ if I even thought about it!" Lori told her stubbornly and Tessa smiled a small smile as she nodded.

"He would, your right!" She heaved a sigh then and shook her head. "Well, if it any consolation, Lori, I'm glad I'm in this shitty situation with you and not someone like Andrea!" Tessa breathed out as she searched for the release latch on her seat-belt. After closing her eyes and releasing an old Cherokee prayer she heard her grandmother say a couple of times, she pressed the button.

"Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind and whose breath gives life to the entire world - hear me; I need your strength and wisdom . . ."

Daryl always told her she was part cat.

And, granted, half those times had been in their particularly limber nights in bed, but she bet if he could see how she landed with that wounded leg of hers, he'd say it again then too.

As soon as she pressed the release button, she felt herself falling. And as she was falling, she somehow re-positioned herself so that she would land on her uninjured side. She let out a grunt and pain shot throughout her body regardless because it even hurt her entire body to move even the slightest inch thanks to her leg, but it hurt a lot less than actually landing on the _injured_ leg!

"Tessa, are you alright?" Lori hissed down to her, her voice laced with concern, and Tessa nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine! It hurt like a bitch, but I done it! I'm getting to my feet – err . . . _foot_, now," She told her as she slowly and carefully got up, placing all her weight (or a majority of her weight, anyway) onto her uninjured foot. Taking ahold of the edges of the broken window, she managed to haul herself up and out of the car with Lori's help. Sitting on her ass on the side of the car and trying her damndest to ignore the thumping pain in her leg, she slid carefully down the side of the car to the pavement, Lori always helping her. She wanted to get out of that car and to Hershel's. She wanted this horrible dayto be _over _with -!

However, as soon as she slid down the car and landed on the pavement and put the slightest bit of weight on her injured leg, she knew the one thing that could _keep_ her in that car until Lori got back with help – the excruciating pain that raged on like a marching army in her thigh.

The pain was almost blinding. She let out a scream of agony as she immediately slumped to her knees to the pavement (which caused it to hurt even more upon impact), her eyes squeezing themselves shut and her teeth gritting as she tried desperately to cope with the pain and waited for it to fade. She fell back on her ass to the asphalt and when it finally did, her back moved to plant against the crumpled metal hulk of the car. Lori followed her the entire time, tears filling her eyes and whispering 'Oh God' and 'I'm so sorry, Tess!' over and over again.

She wasn't listening, though. Her eyes were pinned on the shard of Plexiglas sticking out of her leg the entire time – her _leg_, for God's sake! The chunk of Plexiglas felt like it was on fire and with the slightest motion made by any part of her body that caused it to move slightly, gave her the feeling of knives descending and clawing their way into her flesh and bone. She swallowed heavily at the realization that it would have to come out if she wanted to get anywhere – namely back to the farm where Daryl and Ethan were probably worried sick about her.

She despised the very thought of it, in fact – let alone face the reality that she actually had to do it herself instead of Hershel while she was under some pretty awesome pain pills and with only Lori there to help her if she needed it! But she knew she had no choice. She couldn't stay there - she had to get home and by any means possible! She couldn't do that with a shard of fucking Plexiglas in her leg that threatened to make her pass out from the pain every time she moved!

It would have been what Daryl would have done. Hell, it was what he _had _done out in the woods when he had found himself pierced by his own arrow! He had yanked that bad-boy out and then it used to kill a walker seconds later. True, that was a level of badassery that she could never hope to reach, but she could at least have the balls to pull out a shard of Plexiglas from her thigh!

Tessa swallowed hard, her breathing running ragged as she turned to Lori. "Is there . . . is there any length of clothe in the car?" She asked, and Lori adopted a look of slight confusion on her face before getting to her feet and heading towards the back. She shifted through the destroyed inside when she saw the thin little workout jacket not far from her. She inched forward and grabbed it before turning back around and returning to Tessa. She nodded in approval and took Daryl's knife from he and then the jacket moments later, where she cut it in half quite easily. She handed the knife back to her and when Lori took it back from her, Tessa wrapped one half of the jacket around her hand so that she wouldn't cut herself while pulling out the shard, and the other she put in her mouth so that she could bite down on it and not her tongue. Lori, quickly realizing what she was about to do, immediately placed a worried hand on hers.

"Tess, are you absolutely sure about this?" She asked, and Tessa nodded. The shard _had _to come out! Not only would she be able to bind the wound better, but she would also be able to move with a lot less pain. She couldn't do either with it still in there.

Lori shakily nodded as she withdrew her hand and Tessa wrapped hers firmly around the chunk of glass . . . her heart beating a frantic tattoo against his chest that she knew Lori's matched. Every part of her brain screamed for her to leave it alone – to forget about it the best she could – but she ignored the thoughts as she summoned up the courage she needed to follow through with it.

The gash above her eye stung from the sweat droplets that beaded on her forehead at the prospect of what she was about to do – at the thought of the excruciating pain she was about to be willing put herself through - and her hand tightened slightly on the Plexiglas . . .

She could do this . . . she could do this . . .! Daryl had done it after all and she was pretty damn sure that whatever Daryl could do, she could also do to an extent. This was certainly one of those times!

Then, before she could herself time to talk herself out of it, with a powerful yank that Lori flinched violently upon seeing, she pulled, the glass moving upwards with a seemingly excruciating slowness but which Tessa knew had to be only seconds.

Never before in her life had she ever felt so much pain explode throughout her body – not even in childbirth! If she thought putting weight on it had been blinding, then actually pulling the chunk out was pure, unadulterated agony! Tears streamed from her tightly squeezed eyelids and she screamed bloody-murder against the cloth clenched in-between her gritting teeth. It seemed to move by inches, each inch a cross between a searing hot knife pressing against it and then someone actually ripping open her wound before cruelly rubbing salt into it.

Finally, before her body forcibly blacked her out from the pain, she pulled the chunk free with an intensely relieved – almost orgasmic gasp. Her head immediately fell back against the totaled car she was sitting against, her eyes growing wide with relief. Hard gasps pushed themselves forth from her chest as she threw the shard of Plexiglas away from her with all her might. It went whizzing into the distance, only to land somewhere her eyes couldn't perceive. As Lori attacked her with an almost suffocating embrace, she realized that she felt a lot better – that she felt like she could finally move. However, the pain was still there, though, sitting like a hunched animal in the shadows biding its time until it had an excuse to strike again. It was nothing like it had been, though. She was gladder it was over than anything else!

She sat there for a moment with an intensely relieved Lori, resting for a minute, and felt an exhaustion descend upon her that could only have been brought about by her painful ordeal, although she knew she couldn't rest for long. She had to keep going – she had to get back to the farmhouse and to Daryl and Ethan before they started worrying about her too much. When she got back and when Hershel had finished patching her up, then she would sleep. She would go to sleep nestled in Daryl's arms, with his powerful heart beating away underneath her ear and an unexpected warmth bloomed inside her stomach at the thought. In fact, it was that warmth that gave her the strength to carry on.

Once she was sure her lightheadedness had passed enough for her to stop seeing double of everything, she swallowed heavily and picked up the torn length of cloth she had been clenching in her teeth. It had fallen from her mouth onto her lap when she had gasped out in relief and she tied it tightly around her leg then in a makeshift tourniquet, just tight enough to where she was sure she couldn't die of blood loss before hopefully reaching someone that could help them, but not at the risk of losing her leg. The blood still seeped from the wound but hopefully she would be alright. She didn't know how far she would have to go and truth be told, it daunted her a little.

"Come on, help me to my feet . . ." Tessa breathed out and Lori's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she took her friend's hand and helped her struggle to her feet with the help of the car. Tessa nodded, careful not to put too much weight on her wounded leg. She gritted his teeth at the shoots of pain that shot up from the wound, nonetheless, but brushed them aside as she stood there for a moment catching her breath. The slightest bit of exertion exhausted her, which was starting to make her a little bit worried. If she stood or sat for any length of time, she knew she would pass out from the stress or the pain or both, and she knew she couldn't let that happen. She _had_ to get back to Daryl and Ethan!

"Come on . . . let's get back to our boys . . .!" Tessa breathed out with a hard swallow and Lori grinned and shook her head as she slid Tessa's arm around her shoulders and her arm around her waist, supporting her as they began walking.

"Tessa, I just wanna let you know that your now officially my role model! No wonder Daryl loves you so much – your are him in female form!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Maddy120296 - Thanks, I was going for the cringe worthy reactions ;)**

**Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - Yeah, I wouldn't have the balls either. I'd just walk down the road until I passed out XD**

**toyshellme - Just asking, but did you actually watch the episodes these last couple of chapters are based on (Nebraska and Triggerfinger)? Cause, #1 and the most important - I do not own this scene. I borrowed this scene - the very "stoopid" move scene from the creators of the Walking Dead television series currently being played on AMC and simply elaborated on it in a way that I thought was entertaining. #2, according to the TV series, it was not night when Lori first went out - it was clearly daytime and she did not expect to hit a walker on the way there. I agree, it was a stupid move, one I would not have done myself but Hell, I don't write the scene, I simply elaborate on them for my and other people's enjoyment, which is why Tessa went. #3 - I think you misinterpreted the whole "Tessa-Being-A-Daryl-Dixon" thing. Like Tessa mentally says in the chapter - Daryl would never have gotten himself in that situation and she acknowledges that. What I DID mean for that and like I said earlier in my response to Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening, was - I don't think you or anyone else would have had the balls to pull a shard of glass from your leg or lie there and pull an arrow from your side, even with a walker walking towards you (unless, possibly, you have military training), if you were in their place. Sorry if I insulted you, but chances are, it'd be true, and that's what I meant - I was drawing a comparison through that. And #3, if you're expecting for Daryl to be PO'd at Tessa for something that WAS NOT EVEN HER FAULT because as far as I remember, I never wrote her with the ability to see into the future - I wrote her with compassion instead, which is a pretty human emotion - then don't read this chapter - cause your probably not gonna like it, I'm tellin' ya now. **

**With that being said! Caution: Angry Daryl zone - _very _Angry Daryl zone!  
**

**And then fluffy Daryl and Tessa zone at the end :D**

**PS - Sorry for the extremely long chapter - I didn't want to cut anything :(**

* * *

When Daryl returned back to the camp later that night, he immediately knew something was wrong. Not only was Tessa not flitting about here and there with Lori and Carol helping get things ready for whatever they were going to do next or for the typical time everyone started lying down for bed, but she was also missing from their tent and the farmhouse, where everyone seemed to be settling down for dinner. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he placed his crossbow down against the front doorway.

"Ethan, where's ya momma?" He asked, nodding to him, and Ethan shrugged coolly.

"Dunno. Haven't seen her since ya guys moved our stuff up the hill -"

"Look, we didn't move the stuff up to the hill, kid – ya momma managed to change ma mind 'bout that," Daryl interrupted him in a hushed voice as he took a step toward him. "I left her to go huntin' and when I came back, she was gone. Are ya _sure _ya haven' seen her at all since this afternoon?" Ethan shook his head again, an alarmed look appearing in his eyes then. They were all starting to sit down at the table then and Ethan opened his mouth to say something but Carol calling for Lori and Tessa to come and eat, interrupted them. Maggie speaking further kept them from saying anything.

"They're not in there – I already checked."

"Well then, where in the Hell are they?" Daryl asked, his voice coming out on edge, and everyone turned their eyes onto the two Dixons standing not that far away from the table. Everyone stayed silent at that, looking to each other, hoping they would speak up but when they didn't, Shane leaned forward to place his eyes on Carl.

"Carl when was the last time ya saw ya mom?" He asked, and Carl shrugged. Daryl's teeth gritted at that. Great . . . he had a pretty good idea where she was now.

"This afternoon," He answered and it was then that Andrea spoke, causing Daryl and Ethan to pause on their way through the living room to the front door.

"Lori was worried about Rick and asked me to look in on Carl."

"She went after them?" Dale asked and Andrea shrugged as Daryl nodded.

"She didn't say that -!"

"But she did," Daryl spoke and everyone turned their eyes up onto him again. "Me and Tessa were doin' some shit around our tent – sortin' the clothes out and talkin' – when Lori came up. She asked me to go into town and get Rick and the others 'cause of Beth. I told her no – that I had better shit to do then go be someone's errand boy. Tessa was right beside me when I told her. She prolly went to go get 'em and Tessa prolly went with her." Shane sighed as he nodded towards Daryl who nodded back as he moved over to him.

"Are you coming with me?" Daryl's teeth gritted at the idea of being in an enclosed space with the jackass for longer than five seconds, but nodded none-the-less.

"Fuck yeah I am! I'll take ma bike – ya take whatever car ya want," He spoke and Shane nodded, a look of relief entering his eyes over not having to be in an enclosed space with Daryl too. They moved through the front screen door and when they stepped out onto the porch, it was then that Ethan ran out behind them and pulled Daryl back with an anxious hand on his forearm.

"Deddy, please, let me come with ya! I want to help find momma!" He begged and Daryl stubbornly shook his head as he gently pried his arm from his son's grasp.

"I don' know where they are or how long we'll be out, so I need ya to stay here in case they come back – to tell her where I am if they do! Can ya do that for me?" He asked him and Ethan stood there for a moment, his eyes flitting towards Shane's moving back. Daryl glanced behind him, saw where he looking at and then pursed his lips as he turned back to him. "I'll be fine, I promise! I'll bring ya momma back safe and sound, okay?" He told him and Ethan nodded, his eyes still wide and slightly fearful. Daryl sighed as he wrapped his hand around the back of his neck and brought him forward slightly so that he could press a kiss against his forehead. "We'll be back as soon as we can, okay?"

Ethan nodded and Daryl returned the nod before he turned around on his heels and took off after Shane. Ethan stood there and watched as his father jogged after Shane towards the campsite and his bike. Shane was already getting into his car while Daryl mounted Merle's Harley, the familiar purr of the engine cutting on seconds later. He stood there on the porch and watched as the two men drove off, their taillights disappearing into the gloom moments later.

He stood there and watched until Maggie came out and with a gentle arm around his shoulders, led him back inside the house.

* * *

When they found the crashed car and pulled over to investigate, Daryl felt his blood run cold as he cut off the Harley. And by the look on Shane's face when he came around the car and they met, his blood was starting to run cold as well.

"Pretty bad damn wreck . . ." Shane spoke as they moved towards it, gun and crossbow at the ready. Daryl nodded as Shane kicked the walker behind the car and Daryl moved forward to kick the one with his head still hanging in the car through the crashed Plexiglas. They breathed out sighs of relief when they saw they were quite dead and saw the puncture wounds in their heads that eerily matched Daryl's hunting knife. He let out a sigh of relief. Thank God Tessa took that knife – it was probably the one thing that saved their lives!

"They must have hit a walker . . ." He replied, his voice quiet before he shook his head. He caught a glimpse of the blood on the passenger side seat and felt his blood turn to ice in his veins, temporarily freezing him as well. He found himself wishing to Hell that Tessa had been the one driving, although something told him that she wasn't – that Lori had been the one driving when they crashed.

"Lori . . . Tessa?!" Shane hissed but loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. Daryl shook his head as he stepped away from the wreck, his crossbow moving to hang limp by his side. His heart pounded in his chest for a moment before jumping up into his throat. Jesus Christ – where _were _they? Where was Lori – where the Hell was _Tessa_?!

"One of 'em's wounded – leg, I'd wager; they ain' far." He called to him and Shane swallowed heavily and glanced back at him as they heard the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.

"Who do ya think it is?" Daryl shrugged. "Can ya track 'em?"

"No way to tell. As for the trackin' . . ." He shook his head. "It's pavement – there's no way to track and it's too dark to see any blood, tho' I don' think there's any to begin with. . . whatever happened, they patched themselves up good!" Shane pursed his lips and nodded back in the direction of the car and bike. Daryl returned his nod as they turned around on their heels and took back at a run in the direction of the car and bike. They wanted to find them before the rain hit – and quickly! If one of them was wounded, it wouldn't be good for them to get caught in the rain.

"Hold on Tess, babydoll, I'm comin'!" Daryl muttered as he flipped the key in the ignition, the Harley coming to life almost immediately. His heart kept up the same frantic tattoo in his chest – a tattoo he hoped to Hell wouldn't be permanent.

* * *

"Come on Tess, we can do this!" Lori huffed as they made their way slowly along the road, Lori always keeping a watchful eye out for any walker that could suddenly move out at them through the surrounding tree line. Thunder rumbled in the distance and both of their hearts twisted but they didn't allow it to show. She could tell Lori was still dazed from the wreck but nothing like she herself was. The pain in her thigh had settled down to a dull but omnipresent throb, however, the loss of blood that had been steadily dripping from the wound and which seemed to be soaked up mainly by the strip of jacket still wrapped around her thigh, was starting to make her lightheaded.

"You wanna know . . . how badly Daryl's gonna get his ass laid . . . when we get back to camp?" Tessa asked through gasps of breath and Lori grinned and laughed.

"First honey, we gotta _get_ you back! And judging from your rather _frequent _romps, I don't think Daryl's into the whole . . . "necrophilia" thing!" She laughed and Tessa grinned and shook her head.

"Is that a crack . . . on how loud I can be?" She joked and Lori shook her head, still grinning.

"Honey, sometimes, you could _wake _the dead! So yeah, I doubt he's into the whole his-woman-being-absolutely-still-and-silent fetish." Tessa gave a breathy, exhausted laugh and opened her mouth to speak, however, she was interrupted by three pairs of headlights shining on them – two that obviously belonged to a car of some sort and the other that was moving alone. They stopped walking and stood in one place, Tessa finding it hard to focus as the two vehicles coming an almost screeching stop. They cut off seconds later and they heard someone yell out "Tessa!" as the car door opened and slammed shut. The sounds of running footfalls could be heard coming towards them and Tessa swallowed hard when those footfalls turned into Daryl's boots slapping against the pavement.

"Oh thank _God_ . . .!" She breathed out in clear relief as her vision immediately started to fade and she started sliding down towards the pavement. Lori's grip on her quickly waned, her knees buckling as she fought to keep her up. Now that Daryl had found her, she found her body finally shutting down, her mind quickly welcoming the blissful darkness and exhaustion that had been plaguing her since she first came to consciousness after the wreck.

Daryl was there . . . he had her now – she was _safe_!

"Daryl, hurry and take her -!"

"Don' worry, I got her!" He quickly interrupted Lori as he caught her before she hit the pavement. He scooped her up in his arms, his eyes immediately turning down to gaze at the blood soaked strip of jacket wrapped tightly around her thigh and their blood encrusted sides. Her jeans were also pretty wet and blood encrusted around the edges of the jacket and he found himself hoping that the wound wasn't as bad as it looked. He felt his breathing catch in his chest as he gently turned up the sides, trying to see how bad it really was. However, it was too dark and whenever he would try and lift the edges up to see, Tessa would flinch violently in pain. He swallowed heavily and shook his head, his eyes widening in horror. "H-holy _shit_, babydoll . . .!"

"Lori, are you alright?" It was Shane who spoke as he finally joined them, and Lori nodded, her breathing coming out heavier now that she didn't have Tessa weighing her down.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine -!"

"What the fuck happened to her?" Daryl demanded of her, his angry voice interrupting her, however, it was Shane's voice that kept her from answering him.

"You guys are _not_ fine – we saw the damn wreck!" Shane spoke, his voice coming out shaky as he began to place his hands on her stomach before moving elsewhere on her body. Lori froze but Daryl's beyond angry voice interrupted them again. After gently laying down Tessa, he got to his feet and marched over to her, his eyes wide with fury. Lori froze as one of his hands wrapped around her throat and started to squeeze.

"Lori, what the _fuck _happened to Tessa_? _And God help me – I will _fuckin' _kill ya now if you don' tell me!" He shook his head, his lips pursing in anger. "And I swear to God that I won' even put a bullet in ya head afterwards, jus' so I can kill ya again when ya come back!"

Lori's eyes grew wide with terror at the uncomfortable pressure now being exerted on her throat and which was steadily growing, and her eyes darted down to the now unconscious Tessa lying a few feet away. Without Tessa actually conscious and moving, she doubted Daryl's anger would cool much.

Daryl had just lost his motherfucking shit and the only person capable of giving it back to him was currently lying unconscious at their feet.

Lori didn't think she had ever been more afraid in her life, than at that moment.

"Daryl – _hey_, Daryl – get ya hands off of her!"

Shane, finding that he had actually forgotten the two of them were there with them, took a moment to register what was happening. His teeth gritted as he grabbed ahold of Daryl and with one powerful yank, pulled him off of her, Daryl roaring at her in anger the entire time and thrashing his damndest to try and get Shane to release him.

"You fuckin' bitch – you _cunt_ - if she's dies, I'm rippin' ya damn head off! AUGGHHH – I _swear to fuckin' God_ bitch, that I will!"

Lori's eyes continued to grow even wider in terror at his words, and her hands flew to her neck, where she began massaging away the slight pain that he had left behind, her chest heaving. Daryl had never once put his hands on a woman in anger – it was the one good thing Merle and his fuckhead father _had _taught him - but at the look of Tessa lying on the pavement with _that _wound because of what _Lori _had done . . .

He shook his head as he finally managed to yank himself free of Shane. Shane let out a grunt as he stumbled backwards slightly and Daryl moved back over to Tessa with an almost predatory walk. His fierily angry eyes remained on hers the entire time as he bent down beside her and took her in his arms again with a shocking amount of gentleness for how angry he was. They knew that Tessa and Lori's friendship was the only thing keeping him from going through with his promise and if she was in his arms, then great – he had one more incentive to keep his anger in check.

Right now, the good wolf was gone and on vacation and the bad wolf was throwing a fucking parade.

Daryl Dixon was vicious and right now, at the mere _thought _that he could lose Tessa . . .

He shook his head, his teeth gritting almost impossibly in anger as he kept the thoughts in check. Shane's eyes widened upon him setting eyes the wound on her leg and he suddenly realized just why Daryl was so angry. He placed himself between them as Lori shook her head. "I looked down at the map and hit a walker, I swear to God, Daryl, that it was an accident!" She spoke, trying to keep her voice level although not one of them could bear to look at Tessa's quickly paling face for long except for the man currently holding her. He gently but shakily moved a lock of her ebony hair out of her face as he listened to Lori explain what had happened and continue to try his damndest to get his anger – which was burning like a damn wildfire inside him - under control. "When we became conscious again, I was fine except for a few cuts and bruises, but Tess . . . she had . . . she had a mean shard of Plexiglas stuck in her leg."

Daryl felt vomit rise up in his throat at the image but managed to force it back down again. "And you guys took it out?" Lori shook her head.

"No . . . Tess did – all by herself, too. She said that she could bind the wound better that way and that she could move better too – get further down the road without passing out."

_Well paint me red and call me Santa! The squaw _does_ have some Dixon in her after all! _

For once, Daryl had to agree with the Merle voice inside him and gave a laugh, his anger dissipating somewhat. His voice was soft and loving when he spoke, his eyes softening as he continued to gaze at Tessa's unconscious face and Lori and Shane's eyes widened at the soft tone of his voice. The man really could hop between two different emotions at the drop of a hat, couldn't he?

"Atta girl . . . ya did good . . .!"

"Well next time, how about you guys stay put and the two of you won't need a map!" Shane told them with a shaky laugh, and Daryl couldn't help but nod in agreement. For once, Shane was right too.

After placing an arm underneath her knees and another that moved around to support her shoulders, Daryl got to his feet, Tessa in his arms. Her head lolled against his chest as he nodded towards the car. His voice was gruff and still angry when he spoke. "Come on, let's put her in the back and get on home. She needs Hershel and _fast_!"

"Wait, we can't go yet – we gotta go find Rick! Daryl has his bike – I'm pretty sure he could find a way to take her back on that!" Shane stayed silent for a moment, debating, and Daryl turned around while he did so. He felt his anger start to rise up again the longer they stood there and thought about it, almost to point where he was debating on ripping the keys out of Shane's hand and driving himself home – _after_, of course, he shoved them through the fucker's head! Fuck, he'd even get someone to bring him back for the bike later – right at that moment he didn't give a shit about anyone but Tessa who so desperately needed medical attention!

But when Shane finally spoke, Daryl once again wanted to shake his head and wonder if Shane was about to thank the Academy again. "They're back," He told her. "They're all back – safe and sound." Lori adopted a look of relief on her face.

"Really . . .?" Shane nodded while Daryl shook his head in halfway disbelief.

"Yeah . . ." Lori let out a sigh of relief as she gestured to Tessa.

"Oh thank God! Now come on, let's lay her in the back and get on home - Hershel needs to take a look at her before she worsens!" Daryl nodded in agreement as Lori moved to open the backseat, Shane moving to open the other side. She stayed carefully out of Daryl's way as Shane quickly rolled up a jacket he found in the floorboard and placed it in the seat to rest her head on as Daryl gently laid her down across it. Their eyes met briefly when he was doing it – him and Shane. He saw the slightly insane gleam in the cop's eyes and once again, Daryl began debating on whether it was smart or not for them to stay down at the campsite with the others and not on top of the hill, alone.

They slammed the doors behind them and Daryl made a move for his bike, anger and tension still riddling his body. Lori placed a hesitant hand on Daryl's arm and he tensed even more, Lori flinching. Daryl turned to gaze at her nonetheless, his hands moving to ball into fists at his sides. His eyes were full of nothing but anger and hatred when he gazed down at her and her eyes grew wide again.

"What do ya want?" He snapped and she flinched again.

"Daryl, I'm _so sorry_!" Was all she could bring herself to say and Daryl shook his head in slight bemusement as he ripped his arm free of her grasp.

"You think jus' a simple _sorry_ is gonna make this any better?" He demanded as he moved over to Merle's bike. He shook his head again as he mounted it and cut it on. "The only thing keepin' me from killin' you in the most excruciating way I can think of right now – and believe me, there's many! – is the fact that Tessa could live through this and she'd be _royally _pissed that I killed her friend!" He shook his head again and when he pinned her with a glare so angry in its intensity that for a moment, Lori actually felt an invisible knife slide through her heart. "But I can tell ya one thing. If she _doesn't _live through this . . ." He shook his head. "It ain' gonna be pretty for ya!"

* * *

When they got back to the farmhouse and pulled up to the campsite, everyone immediately ran to meet them. "Oh my God - are you guys alright? What happened?" Andrea asked as they approached them, though her eyes immediately grew wide and her hands flew to her mouth as Daryl carefully retrieved Tessa from the backseat, taking her back in his arms as he did so. "_Oh my God_ - what's wrong with Tessa?" Daryl shook his head as he pushed by her.

"Where's Hershel?"

"We were in an accident -!"

"I'm sorry, but daddy ain't back yet! None of them are back!" Maggie interrupted them quickly and when Daryl froze at those words, his grip on the still unconscious Tessa tightening, everyone grew silent. Lori turned an accusing glare onto Shane as Daryl fought to rein his anger back under control. It helped him a little when Ethan ran up, his eyes growing wide at the sight of Tessa lying unconscious in his father's arms, but not by much. Maggie immediately ran up to him and pulled him into a sisterly hug as tears flooded his eyes. He suddenly looked very vulnerable and Daryl was thankful that Maggie was holding onto him, because he couldn't exactly do that at the moment.

"Deddy, what's wrong with momma?"

"What do you mean they're not back – what do you mean_ Hershel's_ not back yet? Have you _seen _Tessa?" Lori demanded as her jaw hardened and she continued to keep her beyond angry attention onto Shane. Carl had run up by that time as well and Lori hardly noticed it when her son wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug. At that moment she was too pissed to notice him. Tessa could _die_! What gave Shane the right to lie to her when Tessa's life hung in the balance?

And by the look in Daryl's eyes, she could tell he was thinking the exact same way.

"_Where_ are they?"

"Look, I had to get ya back somehow -!" Shane replied as Patricia stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Daryl's shoulder. The man flinched at the touch but she pressed on him a little firmer.

"Come on, let's lay her down upstairs in the house and I'll clean and stitch her wound, okay? I'm not exactly Hershel, but I'll do what I can!" She asked him and Daryl nodded, his expression turning grateful as they began making their way up to the house, Ethan shoving himself out of Maggie's arms in order to follow after them at a run. Lori glared at Shane the entire time, her eyes filling with tears as she gently pushed her son off of her.

"You are _such_ an asshole -!" She hissed at him through gritted teeth as she launched herself towards him, hands outstretched, however, Daryl didn't hear the rest of the spat, for they were already halfway back up to the farmhouse. They entered the house moments later, Patricia calling for Maggie to fetch her a bowl of warm water, clean rags, scissors and the pain meds and antibiotics. She then directed Daryl to take Tessa upstairs and place her in the same bed that he had been placed in when he arrived back with his wounds. He did so gently and when Patricia directed everyone to leave the room except for just the three of them and Maggie when she returned with what she had been ordered to fetch, Ethan immediately struck up an argument, his eyes becoming angry.

"No way in _Hell_ I'm leavin'! She's my momma – I _deserve_ to be here -!"

"Ethan, watch ya language, shut the fuck up and _go_!" Daryl barked at him, his eyes hardening with anger. Ethan froze at his tone, his eyes widening in fear and Daryl's expression softened slightly as moved around to the bed towards him, where he pulled him into a tight hug. Daryl could feel Ethan trembling in his arms as his eyes stayed pinned on his white-as-a-sheet mother and when they broke apart, Daryl forced their eyes to meet. "Son, I promise ya that I'll come get ya when we're done, okay? But for right now, we need to concentrate and we can' exactly do that with a room full of people!" His voice was shaky as well when he spoke and Ethan's face softened at his much kinder tone. He nodded and backed out of the room, where he moved to lean up against the opposite wall out in the hallway, Maggie shutting the door behind him as Daryl returned to Tessa's bedside.

"Let me have the scissors," Patricia spoke when they were settled, and Maggie nodded as she handed the heavy steel scissors to her. Patricia carefully cut the length of jacket off from around her leg and Tessa flinched. She chose that time to wake up, her teeth gritting in pain when Patricia slowly peeled the cloth away from them. Everyone's stomachs soured when they saw the angriness of the wound, even through the hole in her jeans. Daryl's eyes stayed glued to it for a moment before Tessa's small voice saying his name brought his attention onto her.

"I'm here, babydoll - I'm here!" He breathed out in relief as his eyes flew up to hers, his hands moving to frame her face then as well. "We're back home – we gonna get ya patched up!"

"Where's Hershel . . .?" She asked as she gazed tiredly around the room, and he shook his head as Patricia heaved a sigh and gently lifted one of the torn edges of her jeans around the wound so that she could better peer into it. Tessa flinched but released no sound. The only indicator it had hurt was her flinch and the way her hand fisted in the white coverlet of the bed.

"They ain' back yet -"

"What do ya mean they're not back yet?" She interrupted him, her voice growing slightly panicked, and Daryl shook his head as he shushed her again.

"They ain' back yet, babydoll, but please don' panic! Patricia's here and Maggie is too! Ya 'member how good Patricia did stitchin' up T-Dog that one time?" Tessa's eyes flitted to Patricia, who smiled warmly and then to Maggie, who gave a weak smile. Tessa hesitantly nodded as Patricia spoke,

"Ya did good taking the shard out, honey," She told her with a nod. "And Daryl's lucky he got ya back in time before ya set in an infection. We're gonna have to take off your pants, though, to better clean the wound and stitch it up. Do you think you can do that?" Tessa thought for a moment, her eyes flickering to Daryl and he nodded as he removed the hunting knife strapped to her thigh.

"I'll be right here, babydoll, I promise! We'll help ya too, if ya need it," She finally gave another shaky nod as her hands moved to the button and fly of her jeans, where she quickly undid them. She shimmied them down her hips but when she reached the tops of her thighs, she gritted her teeth again and shook her head, her eyes closing shut with the pain. It was then that Daryl nodded and took a gentle but firm hold of her as he turned his eyes onto Patricia. She nodded and with Maggie's help, they took her boots off before gently and slowly trying to work the jeans down her legs.

Finally Tessa shook her head, letting out a huff of irritation as she did so. "You guys ever pick off a scab before?" She asked through harsh breaths and they nervously paused. "You start out slow but sooner than later, ya just gotta _rip_ the damn thing off!" Patricia and Maggie caught Daryl's gaze and the man nodded. He didn't like it any better than they did, however, if Tessa was saying do it because it was causing her too much pain, then they supposed they should heed her. They steeled themselves and so did Tessa before with one swift yank, they tore her jeans down her legs, the sticky, dried and bloody edges of her jeans tearing off of the skin around her wound. Tessa let out a scream of pain and the throb in her leg jumped up into a damn near heartbeat as her body grew rigid with the pain. Daryl quickly shushed her as tears appeared in her eyes. He was leaning above her with one hand pressing down into the mattress beside her shoulder and one of her hands latched onto his forearm with surprising strength.

"Here, give her some of these! With hope, they'll dull the pain slightly while I go about doin' this!" Patricia told him quickly as she darted over to the two bottles of pills sitting beside the basin of hot water. Tessa nodded as she held out the hand that had been latched onto Daryl's forearm. Patricia shook them out to her and she swallowed them dry before releasing a shaky breath. Her eyes were still closed and her legs shook and trembled. The pain still hadn't dulled back down to a throb and she let out a sob when it occurred to her was about to happen – the pain she was about to experience. Daryl continued to shush her as he held her close for the moment, his lips pressing against her hair. She gripped him tight – as tight as she could - as if she could siphon off some of his indomitable, constant strength because, dammit, she felt like she was starting to run on empty!

The three of them observed the wound now that it was fully in the light and felt their stomachs sour again. It wound looked angrier now that her pants were off, the redness an angry, glaring beacon against her dark skin, and Daryl felt his breath draw harder from his lungs. It seemed like they were both gonna have some pretty heavy duty scars in a few months when they were both totally healed. Of course, Daryl's scar was joining countless others, but Tessa . . . this might be the first scar to grace her flawless body.

"Ya could have given them to her _before _ya two ripped her damn jeans off and almost made her pass out!" Daryl growled at them and Tessa shook her head as her hand moved to grasp his shoulder.

"It's fine, Daryl – I'm fine . . . for now, anyways . . ." She trailed off as she turned her eyes onto Patricia, the brown depths slightly wary as she sucked up her sobs and her tears. "What do you gotta do?" Patricia sighed as Tessa's hand on his shoulder tightened as did the one gripping his forearm.

"It's really angry – I mean, _really angry_! I'll give ya some antibiotics when we're done, but for now, it has to be cleaned and then stitched up." Tessa heard her breath hitch at the word "stitched" and truth be told, so did hers. That would hurt like a mother! Patricia paused, however, and they turned wary gazes up to her.

"What is it?" Daryl asked quickly, and Patricia turned behind her to glance at Maggie, who buried her hands deep into her front pockets in nervousness.

"I understand that you are . . . pregnant," She spoke, her voice coming out wary as well, and Tessa felt Daryl tense above her as she nodded. "Ethan was talking about it when you two were gone . . ."

"Yeah, but I'm only about a few weeks along . . . why?" Patricia swallowed hard.

"You've been in an _excruciating_ amount of stress for one day, Tessa – what with the wreck and all. Stitchin' this up isn't gonna be pretty – for either of us and especially not for you! I'm hesitant about doing it right now _because _the stress and the pain could trip you over into having a miscarriage. I am aware that . . ." She shifted from foot-to-foot as her eyes moved to hold each of their gazes in turn. "I have been _told_ that the two of you would be . . . very anguished if a miscarriage were to occur . . ." Daryl opened his mouth to speak but Tessa shook her head stubbornly.

"We can't wait, Patricia, and you know it! This wound – it _hurts_! It hurts and it _needs_ to be cleaned and taken care of!" She glanced at Daryl above her before turning her eyes back onto Patricia. "For God's sake, I can do this! I've ripped that fucker out of me and this kid has hung on through that and _that _was some fucking pain and stress! If I've done that and it's survived this far, then maybe it'll hang on a little longer! I want to get this thing sown up so it can get to healing! I don't care if you've got to knock me out before - just _do_ it!"

Everyone went quiet then and moved their attention onto Daryl as he slowly moved to kneel beside her, shaking his head as he went. His eyes were wide with worry. "Tess, are ya_ sure_ ya wanna do this – that ya _can _do this? We can always wait for Hershel!" He asked her and she nodded as one of her hands moved to firmly cup his jaw, keeping his eyes pinned to hers and only hers.

"This baby is a fuckin' _Dixon_, Daryl – its _strong_ - I can _feel _it!" She told him through gritted teeth before shaking her head. Daryl swallowed hard as he held onto her fierce gaze. "It'll hang on through this – I _know _it will because I can't wait through this pain any longer and if I get an infection while waiting for Hershel . . .!" She swallowed hard in turn as she shook her head and shakily took his hand then, their fingers entwining. "We've got to do this now, but I _need _you here when I do this Daryl! I don't have the strength to go through this without you!"

Daryl gazed at her for a moment before nodding and taking her face in his hands, where he kissed her, long and deep. When they broke apart, he pulled her towards him, their foreheads touching seconds later as his hand moved down to clutch at her stomach, as if he could give the baby some of his strength as well.

"Ya'll never be alone Tess! I'll give ya ma strength if ya need it!" He gave a laugh then. "Hell, I'd give ya ma flesh and blood too!" She smiled a small, grateful smile.

"I love you Daryl . . ." She murmured, her voice coming out thick as her eyes closed. The words were tearful when she told them to him, and he nodded as he closed his eyes as well and held her close for a moment, the both of them fighting back tears and the both of them trying so desperately to cope with the pain she was about to go through.

"I love ya too, Tess . . . so _fuckin' _much!"

They found themselves praying that, that wouldn't be the last time they spoke those three little words to each other.


	24. Chapter 24

**Yeah, again, sorry for the last chapter length - like scoobydoo0811 said, there was just so intensity in it for a variety of reasons, that I didn't want to cut anything. I probably should have split into two different chapters but I didn't know "where" to split it. So, that being said, here is a much shorter, more comfortable chapter :)**

**Read, review and enjoy! **

**- Nagiana**

* * *

The missing men drove up that next morning, when practically everyone who knew how to shoot a gun, was getting ready to go out and get them back. Everyone let out long held-in breaths of relief while every fiber and cell of Daryl's body practically sung out his relief!

"Thank the fuckin' Lord!" He breathed out and Lori gave him an intensely relieved look as Rick bypassed the camp and drove up all the way to the front porch of the farmhouse, the rest of them following them at a run. No one ran faster than Daryl, however, and he skidded to a stop as the doors opened. Rick, Glenn and Hershel fell out looking beyond exhausted. Carl and Lori immediately fell into Rick's arms as Hershel started his way around to the back of the house.

"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery -" He announced but Daryl quickly stepped in front of him, keeping him from going anywhere. The older man's lips pursed in irritation but at the look of weariness in Daryl's eyes, he immediately relaxed.

"Ya gotta . . . ya gotta check on Tess 'fore ya do anythin' else!" He spoke and Rick eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he broke apart from his family and moved over to him.

"Why - what's wrong with her?" Daryl shook his head.

"She got in a car accident yesterday with ya _wife_ and stabbed her leg up bad – we've been waitin' on Hershel to get back so that he could check on her!" Hershel turned to gaze back at Patricia, who nodded while Rick turned an inquiring look onto a sheepish looking Lori.

"I cleaned and stitched it up last night. It looks good and we've been giving her antibiotics, we just . . . we need _you _to make sure she's completely all right!"

"Please, man . . . _please_!" Daryl begged him and Hershel turned one more long, searching look onto Daryl's pleading eyes before nodding. He turned back to Patricia.

"Patricia, go ahead and prepare the shed for surgery. While you do that, I'm gonna go up and check on Tessa, alright?" Patricia nodded hurriedly and moved to head towards the shed. As Rick and Lori asked each other if they were alright and as Shane brought attention to the strange guy fading back and forth into consciousness in the backseat, Daryl was gratefully accompanying Hershel into the house, no longer giving a rat's ass to anyone else's well-being but Tessa's.

* * *

"You know, you and Daryl have the potential to put every relationship in the book, to complete and utter shame, right?"

Tessa grinned and laughed at Maggie's words as she glanced at the younger woman sitting on a nearby chair beside the bed. She was wearing her jeans again, although the leg that covered her wound had been cut off, revealing the padding of gauze that had been wrapped and then taped around her thigh. Ethan lay on the bed beside her, his head tucked just underneath her chin, and Maggie couldn't help but smile at the image. The previous night had been rough – one of the roughest ones of her life and she doubted it had been any easier for Ethan or anybody else who had been there. He had clung to his mother all morning and with good reason. It had been hard for _her _– a grown woman – seeing such a usually calm and collected man like Daryl, almost reach his breaking point multiple times when Tessa's screams grew too loud and he had to remain unwaveringly strong for her. She had no idea how hard it had been for Ethan, sitting outside the room and forced to _listen _to his mother's screams!

Maggie didn't blame him for clinging to his mother the way he was!

"Why do you say that?" She asked, and Maggie shrugged and smiled a she looked down at the hardwood floor underneath them.

"Last night, before we began and you told him that you loved him and he sat there for a minute before telling you that he loved you back," She shrugged. "It was just . . . so _intimate_! You can tell you guys love each other – that he loves _you_!" She shook her head, giving a laugh as she did so. "In this day and age, you guys are a rare bird!" Tessa chuckled.

"With Daryl, Maggie . . . his love is earnest. His loyalty and his trust are hard to earn – his love, almost impossible! So when you finally manage it, it's . . . its _earnest_ and its _real_!" She smiled as she pressed a loving kiss to the top of her son's head and then chuckled. "I don't know what I did to get such love from him, but I thank God every day for him. He makes this world bearable – he puts another light at the end of the tunnel . . ."

"So, your saying that you guys make it through every day because . . . because all you have is your love?" She asked, and Tessa shook her head.

"No – God no, it's not just love! We have our fights and we have our anger at each other sometimes – Hell, I'm pretty sure a fair amount of his anger from last night is partially directed towards me as well as Lori - but it's not just love. We don't have enough love for that, believe it or not. What we _do_ have, though, is our child. Although, pretty soon, it'll be our 'children', won't it?" She smiled as she wrapped her arms tighter around Ethan, who smiled and hugged her back, his eyes closing in contentment. Right now he wasn't the young man interested in Beth, he was the thirteen-year-old boy he really was.

Tessa glanced back at Maggie. "That's what keeps us going, Maggie, not our love. It's the fact that we have one other person and soon, two, that will need us every day." Maggie smiled as they heart booted footfalls on the hardwood landing outside the bedroom – booted footfalls that ended up being Daryl and Hershel's as they turned the corner into the room. Maggie adopted a look of relief on her face as she hopped up and bounded into her father's arms. He hugged her close for a minute before nodding to Tessa, who nodded back as Daryl moved to take the chair Maggie had so recently vacated.

"What about Glenn, is he alright?" Maggie asked, and Hershel nodded and gestured to the door. "He's outside with the others, I imagine." Maggie grinned and nodded as she bounded from the room. His eyes landed on Ethan's.

"I have to check your mother's wound. Can we have some privacy?" Ethan nodded as Tessa pressed another kiss to his head before he got up off of the bed and left the room then, as silent as when he had come in. She glanced at Daryl as Hershel moved to wash his hands in the nearby wash basin.

"He's been quiet since yesterday night!" She told him, concern in her voice, and he smiled a small, tight smile as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, where he pressed a lingering kiss to the back of it.

"Think about what he's been through the past night – what _all _of us have been through! In his defense, we've all been kinda quiet!" Tessa nodded in agreement as Hershel moved over to them and gently undid the tape keeping the gauze down. He unrolled it and his eyes quickly scanned the stitched up wound. He grimaced.

"That's gonna make one ugly scar! How did you get it?"

"Me and Lori were in a car accident yesterday," Tessa told him. "She walked out fine but I ended up with a shard of Plexiglas in my leg." Hershel arched a slightly surprised brow in her direction.

"And you pulled it out yourself?" She nodded

"Yes, I did." Hershel nodded, a look of respect glittering in his eyes as he carefully redid the wrapping and the tape before standing back up.

"Your leg is looking good, Tessa – looking real good! It doesn't seem to be as red as I heard it was in the beginning and Patricia has stitched you up quite nicely! The cut above your eye seems to be healing quite nicely as well!" He told her as he washed his hands off in the nearby washbasin. Daryl let out a breath of relief as he pressed a loving, lingering kiss to her temple, his eye closing in relief as he held her close. Tessa, still as pale as a sheet and as weak as ever, nodded and smiled her thanks as she allowed Daryl's arms to wrap around her and hold her close.

"Thank you so much, Hershel – and thank Patricia for me too!" She added, and Hershel smiled and nodded as he turned around, wiping his hand off on a nearby towel.

"You're quite welcome. Are you having any problems with it?" He asked, his eyebrow furrowing in concern, and she shrugged.

"It still throbs but other than that, the pain meds are working nicely," She hesitated for a minute and it was then that Daryl murmured:

"The baby . . . ask him 'bout the baby . . ." Hershel adopted an even more confused look on his face and Tessa sighed.

"I'm pregnant, Hershel, about a few weeks along, in fact. At first, Patricia didn't want to stitch me up because she was worried that the stress of the pain would add on top of the stresses that the rest of the day had brung, and cause me to have a miscarriage." Hershel smiled a small smile.

"And I take it that you didn't?" Tessa nodded, smiling.

"Your right, I didn't. The kid's still hanging on – _miraculously_!" The older man sighed as he moved to sit on the edge of the other side of the bed.

"You seem to be in the clear now, I think, but for the sake of the baby, I will say that you probably need to take it _extremely _easier from here on out, understand?" He asked before his eyes flickered onto Daryl. "No going off and getting yourself injured – no sudden and massive amount of stress!" He shook his head. "I'm not saying be bedridden until you give birth – God no! But what I am saying is to take it easy! They have found links to support cases where extreme amounts of stress in the first few months of pregnancy can drastically heighten your chances of miscarrying and premature births in later months. Hopefully, that won't happen to you, but just as a preventative measure, please take it easy! I also would like you to stay here for another night – just so that you can get some good rest and I can check on you in the morning." Tessa and Daryl nodded as Hershel smiled and stood. He excused himself at that moment and they nodded as he left, squeezing by Ethan as he did so.

Tessa smiled when she saw her son and he smiled back. "There's a meeting goin' on downstairs in the dining room. They said if you're up to it that you should probably come down too with deddy, but if you can't, then that would be fine as well." He told them, directing his words to Tessa at one point and she nodded as Daryl backed off of her and helped her sit up. She got gingerly to her feet and balanced herself and all her weight on her one good leg before they made their slow way out of the room and into the hallway.

"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would have bled out - if he had lived that long . . ." They heard Rick speak as the made their slow way down the stairs and when they stepped into the archway leading to the dining room, they were brought to everyone attention by Dale looking up and giving a thankful, "Oh thank God!"

Everyone turned around at his words and Tessa gave a weak smile as Lori immediately got to her feet and darted over to her friend, where she hugged her tightly. "Oh thank God you're alright! Tess, I am _so sorry_!" She told her, tears filling her eyes again, and Tessa grinned and nodded.

"It's fine, Lori – at least we're both alive, ya know?" She asked and Lori nodded half-heartedly, her eyes finding Daryl's expressionless ones as she stepped back, allowing Rick, Dale, and Maggie to take her place. They each hugged her in turn, their hugs a lot more gentle than Lori's had been and when they were done, Rick kindly smiled and gestured to the chair he had been leaning on. She gave him a thankful look as Daryl stepped forward and then gently deposited her in the seat before moving to take a protective stance behind her. Ethan moved to stand between her and Glenn and the two friends smiled weakly at each other – their eyes taking on an exhausted look as they did so. The both of them had very tough nights. Glenn spent his fighting for his life while Ethan spent his hearing his mother fight for _hers_. They both couldn't wait until they could get some much needed and desired sleep.

"We've been discussing the new addition to the group!" Shane spoke up, his voice falsely cheerful, and Tessa and Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"New addition . . .?" She asked, her voice coming out small and weak as she glanced up at Daryl, who only shrugged in reply. Rick sighed and nodded as he filled them both in.

"His name's Randall. He and his group attacked us when we were in town yesterday night retrieving Hershel. He was injured and we brought him along. Hershel's out in the shed fixing his leg as we speak." Tessa nodded in understanding as everyone began talking again.

"It's gotten bad in town," Glenn spoke up, his voice quiet and it was impossible to see the curious look that flitted across Maggie's face when they crossed gazes.

"What do we do with him?" Andrea asked and it was then that Hershel walked in, wiping his hands off with a rag.

"I've repaired his calf muscle as best I can. He'll probably have nerve damage, though. He won't be back on his feet for at least a week - the same as you . . .!" He spoke as he nodded to Tessa. She nodded back in understanding as she took a gentle hold of Daryl's hand on her shoulder. He smiled a small smile when she pressed a kiss to his knuckle. He was angry at her now that they knew she and the baby would be fine – God only knew he was! It had been a dumb move, her and Lori going out in search of three grown, very capable men, but above that – on the surface, he was still just content and happy to find out that she would was safe and sound too!

"When he is, we give him a canteen," Rick spoke up, his gaze meeting everyone's there. "And then we take him out to the main road and send him on his way."

"Isn't that just as cruel – leaving him out there for the walkers after you saved him?"

"He'll have a fighting chance, though." Rick replied to Andrea and it was then that Shane spoke up again.

"Ya just gonna let him go? He knows where we are."

"He was blindfolded the entire way here," Rick replied. "He's not a threat -!"

"Not a threat?" Shane interrupted him with a laugh. "How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking for them?"

"Yes, let's listen to the mastermind behind the barnyard massacre yesterday, why don't we? God only knows how well that went!" Tessa spoke up a tad condescendingly, her voice still weak and quiet and the look Shane gave her could have frozen lava. Daryl shot him a look back as his hand tightened on her shoulder, however, but nothing happened, for which Tessa and everyone else there were grateful.

"They left him for dead!" Rick told him. "No one is looking for him!"

"We should still post a guard," T-Dog spoke next and everyone's gaze turned onto him. He was one of the ones who rarely spoke up in these kinds of meetings so whenever he did, people listened.

"He's out cold right now and will be for a few hours." Hershel informed them.

"You know what – I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy!" Shane suddenly piped up sarcastically as he moved towards the door. "Look at this, folks – we're back at fantasyland!"

"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet," Hershel replied to him as he moved to follow him and Shane turned around to face him. Tessa remained seated, Daryl and Ethan remaining standing at her side. Besides, they could hear the conversation pretty well – they didn't have to see it. "Like Tessa said – that wasn't exactly the smartest decision in the entire world and let me make it perfectly clear once and for all that this is _my farm_, something that you, for some reason, cannot understand! Now I wanted you gone but Rick and Tessa talked me out of it," He continued as he glanced behind him at Rick and Tessa and Tessa realized that it was because of her and Lori's pregnancies that they hadn't been kicked off the farm yet. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it! So do us both a favor and keep your mouth shut!"

Shane nodded, a little-boy unhappy look on his face as he backed steadily towards the front door, his eyes moving to hold all of their gazes. Eventually, he left the house then and when he did, Rick stepped forward. "Look, we're not gonna do anything about it today because many people are still healing from the stresses of yesterday," He glanced back towards Tessa and Lori and they knew he also meant the boy in the shed. "So let's just cool off today, okay?" Hershel nodded as everyone started leaving then and when he walking past Tessa, she reached out and took a hold of his hand. He stopped and turned his gaze down onto her, a look of interest appearing in his eyes.

"Please, Hershel, I'd feel a lot better if I was allowed to go back down to the campsite instead of sleeping here tonight. My bed is there – my family and my friends are there! It'd lift my spirits and I'd feel a lot more comfortable there!" She told him and he nodded.

"I suppose I can come in and check on ya in the morning, so I suppose that's alright." He gave her his permission with a gentle smile before meeting Daryl's eyes. "Remember: no massive amounts of stress – of any kind!" He told him and Daryl nodded as he continued to move past them in order to go check on Beth. Daryl and Ethan helped Tessa to her feet then, her arms moving around their shoulders as they headed to the front door, Rick following them with Lori, Carl and Carol close on their heels.

They stooped down to enter their tent moments later and Tessa let out a breath of relief when she saw their mattress. "Okay, Ethan, nice and easy does it . . ." Daryl grunted as him and Ethan slowly lowered her down onto her ass on the mattress. She gave Ethan a thankful look as father and son both stood and nodded to them. The both of them standing up before her side-by-side like that, she realized just how much alike they really did look. Ethan really was just a darker complexioned Daryl.

"I'm uh . . . I'm gonna go see what's up with Glenn, okay?" He asked and Tessa nodded, knowing he was going to go check up on Beth instead now that she was awake, and he smiled and bent down, where he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek before standing. He stood and gave Daryl an awkward look, one that made his father let out a teasingly irritated breath and roll of his eyes.

"Oh good Lord, Ethan, don' jus' stand there with ya thumb up ya ass – come here already!" He huffed, his eyes shining with amusement as he reached out an arm, wrapped it around the back of his neck and then brought him into a one-armed styled bear hug. Tessa let out a laugh as Ethan immediately turned red, although he did hug Daryl back. He released him moments later and Ethan shot them both a grin before he ducked out of the tent. Daryl rolled his eyes again as Tessa moved to lie back against the mattress, letting out a sigh of utter contentment as she did so. She was so glad to be back in her own bed! The one in the house was too comfortable for her now . . . she couldn't sleep in a bed that didn't have at least a _little _hardness to it!

"It looks like things with you and Ethan are back on track." She remarked and Daryl nodded, although he still gave her a shrug as he moved to lie down beside her on the mattress. She pulled her pillow further underneath her head as she turned her head to face him.

"Yeah, tho' I don' know how, for the life of me, I managed to get him back on ma good side!" He muttered and she smiled. She couldn't move over onto her side to face him because of her wounded leg, but that didn't mean _he_ couldn't. He flipped over onto his side facing her, his hand moving down to spread over her stomach as he did so. She inched closer to him as her hand flew to his and before he knew what was happening, she was moving his hand up under her shirt. The warmth of his callused hand warmed her stomach and made her shiver slightly.

"It held on . . ." He murmured in slight awe and she nodded, a grin appearing on her face.

"I told you it would, didn't I?" She asked and he grinned as well.

"Ya sure it's a girl and not a boy?" He asked and she laughed.

"I don't know what it is, Daryl, but like I said, it's a Dixon, so I don't think that can be a determining factor. I have a feeling that a show of strength in the womb does _not_ determine gender in your family!" She told him and he laughed as she shook her head. "There is _one_ thing though . . ." His eyebrows furrowed in slight interest as she gave another short laugh. "If it's a girl, we are _not_ naming my child Sophia!" She told him, referring to the conversation they had overheard between Lori and Carl in which Carl asked his mother if the baby was born a girl they could name her Sophia. Daryl immediately let out a grin and a barking laugh when he remembered, and shook his head vehemently.

"Ah, the _Hell_ we are!" He continued to grin as she lifted her head up, allowing him to slide his free arm underneath her head as his other hand remained firmly on her stomach. He kissed her gently for a moment and when they broke apart, he moved to nuzzle her. His voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke. "I want ma Cat Liz, babydoll – I don' want a fuckin' Sophia!"

Tessa felt tears come to her eyes then as she lay there, content to lie in his arms as she basked in the warmth of his loving words and his gestures and his soft, loving kisses and felt like she was the luckiest woman in the world. And indeed, in her situation, she _was _the luckiest woman in the world!

Daryl's eyebrows immediately furrowed in confusion as he asked her what was the matter, and she shook her head and simply replied:

"Thank God I'm not Lori!"

He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant but the crunch of boots on the ground made him stop. They turned their gaze onto the entrance to the tent expectantly and weren't surprised when Lori stepped sheepishly inside. Her eyes darted warily to the wrapping of gauze covering the wound on her thigh and smiled a weak smile, her hands moving to shove down into the back pockets of her jeans.

"I'm surprised you're not lunging at me now that you have time to actually breathe for once!" She told him and Daryl gave a lazy shrug of his shoulders he pulled Tessa ever-so-slightly towards him and Tessa let out a grin. Her hand smoothed up his forearm as his remained on its usual spot on her stomach.

"Why would I? I'm pretty damn comfortable right now . . ." Lori nodded, a small smile gracing her features as she glanced at the close way Daryl was holding her. She supposed Daryl would be holding her pretty close for the next few days, especially while they slept. She also supposed he wouldn't let them be alone together for quite a while as well. It was common knowledge that Daryl primarily blamed what had happened to Tessa on Lori, as it had been her that hadn't been paying attention while driving and gotten them in the wreck to begin with. And even though he knew he would never, in a million years, be able to tell Tessa what to do outright, he also knew she couldn't object to him watching her silently.

"Yeah, you look like you are . . ." She muttered and Tessa nodded to her, a grin still on her face.

"What do you need, honey?" Lori gave a halfway defeated shrug of her shoulders.

"I know . . . I know you already told me not to, but I've come to say I'm sorry again. I-I should have been keeping my eyes on the road – I should have had you looking at the map instead of me while driving, I should have . . ." She sighed when she saw Tessa arch an eyebrow in amusement at her ramblings, and smiled a small smile. "There's a lot I should have done." Tessa chuckled as she lightly ran her nails up and down Daryl's forearm.

"I'll forgive you as long as you agree with the fact that going out there was probably not the smartest thing we could have done!" She chuckled and Lori joined her as she and Daryl nodded, however, it was not Daryl who spoke, but Lori.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I can readily agree with that! If it had just been me, I wouldn't feel nearly as guilty as I do, however, speaking you were the one who got injured for one stupid little mistake, I guess . . . I guess I can _readily _agree with the fact that we never should have gone out there!" She turned a slightly apprehensive gaze onto Daryl then, a gaze that he arched an eyebrow at. "What about you? I suppose asking for your forgiveness is a waste of good breath?" Daryl let out an amused scoff at that and shrugged his shoulders.

"I told ya how it was when we first found ya, didn' I? If she didn' survive it, then it wouldn' be good for ya," He shrugged again. "Seems like she survived, didn' she?"

"So . . . is that your version of an "I forgive you"?" She asked and he scoffed again.

"It's prolly 'bout the best damn thing ya gonna get! Ya two didn' just risk ya lives, but ya guys also risked the lives of your sons or daughters. I mean, Hell, Tess, ya know I love ya more than anythin' but I _cannot _stress how much of a stupid move that was! And while I think ya get that, I'm not entirely sure _she _does!" He nodded towards Lori as he said that. "She didn' get a shard of Plexiglas stuck in her leg that she had to pull out and which taught her, her lesson like ya did, Tess!" Lori nodded in slow agreement, not able to meet his or Tessa's eyes.

"I-I know . . . I realize that," Daryl gave another shrug then as he closed his eyes and buried his face in Tessa's neck, her hair tickling his nose.

"Realize it or not, it's no skin of ma nose. Jus' don' do it again and I guarantee that we'll get along fine. Like I said earlier, I gotta look after ma family now and that includes guardin' 'em against people that do stupid shit enough to get 'em killed!" He fell silent then and Tessa sighed as she turned a gaze onto her that said Its-Daryl-what-can-you-do? Lori shot Tessa another small, slightly weak smile before graciously bowing from the tent then. Tessa sighed as she shifted slightly in order to lovingly press her lips against his forehead. His arms tightened slightly around her in reply.

"You know, baby, she's not really that bad! You should give her a chance!" She told him with a light laugh, and he let out a snort of amusement but didn't shift his face out of her neck. His voice came out slightly muffled when he spoke.

"That's easy for ya to say, Tess! Ya didn't see me almost shit ma pants when I saw ya laying there, almost bleedin' to death 'cause of somethin' _she _did! I'm sorry, babydoll, but I ain' trustin' anyone who makes me waste a perfectly good pair of pants over somethin' they're the cause of!"


	25. Chapter 25

**scoobydoo0811 - Thanks for the review, glad you liked the chapter :)**

**Sorry-I-Wasn't-Listening - Yeah I thought about offering some cold water for that burn but figured that would be a little too crass ;). I'm glad you liked the Daryl and Ethan parts too, they are a lot of fun to write. Like I said earlier, its fun to try and find that balance between awesome badass and total sweetheart and its easier to do that with Ethan for some reason, probably because a love for your child is supposed to be unconditional. I also feel bad for Lori too but in order for this story to go where I need it to go, there's gotta be a little friction between Tessa and Lori :)**

**Okay, just warning you, there is enough fluff in the beginning of this chapter to make a damn bear factory! For those of you who hate reading fluff, proceed to skip down to the middle! But for those of you who like reading hopeless Tessa and Daryl fluff, then please, proceed :)**

**I also know my timeline's gone slightly out of wack but this is the only real giant jump in time that this story takes. So yeah, it is three months later but nothing really has changed except the months and Lori and Tessa's growing pregnancies lol**

**Okay, enough of me blabbing! Onwards with the story! **

**- Nagiana**

* * *

_Three Months Later . . ._

"Hey Daryl – wait up a minute, would you?"

Daryl sighed in slight irritation as he turned around and waited for Tessa to close the distance between them. It had been three months since she and Lori had come back from their car accident – three months since Rick, Glenn and Hershel had come back with the kid in the back of their car and while things had certainly calmed down, they had become no less hectic. Everyone was working hard to get ready for the winter, including Daryl and Ethan, who found themselves out hunting much of the day, every day. They were afraid that the game would quickly become scarce but so far, they found it in abundance, making them confident that they would have enough meat for the winter, at least. They were also constantly on alert for the kid's group to come find him but after three months of nothing, they doubted they were out looking for him, as Rick had said. Tessa's leg had also healed up nicely, as had Daryl side, but he had been right – they had both found themselves carrying nasty scars as well as two near death experiences that only bonded them together even more and made them take nothing about their current life with each other for granted.

It didn't mean that Daryl had changed his attitude in any way, though.

"Dammit, Tess, we've got huntin' to do -!"

"Daryl, shut the Hell up for a minute, will ya?" She interrupted him and her eyes twinkled when she finally reached them. She took his hand and he immediately tensed. She smiled nonetheless as he quickly relaxed in her grip. He then freely allowed her to move his hand where she wanted and she knew instantly that he would like this. He hadn't been around for her pregnancy with Ethan so he didn't know what it felt like to feel a baby move . . . he was about to experience the surprise of his life.

When he realized that she was placing his hand under the hem of her shirt to her newly protruding stomach, his heart sped up and he glanced behind at Ethan who was waiting patiently for him, a small smile of amusement on his face. He had already felt his baby brother or sister move and he had to admit . . . it was amusing watching his thirty-six-year-old father overreact to such a small thing as feeling his own child move. "Relax, baby – you guys ain't burning that much daylight!" She gently admonished him as she pressed her hand against the back of his and then pressed his palm against the side of the small bump that Tessa woke up every day feeling his hand covering in turn – moving it just to the right and slightly underneath her belly button.

Daryl's brow immediately knitted together in slight confusion and interest. "Tess, what the fuck are you-?"

And then he felt it. His eyes shot up to her face – to her broad grin and her wide, sparkling brown eyes and for a moment, it was like her entire face had lit up. He felt it again . . . and again and again and he let out a breathless little laugh. It was like a light tickle under his palm. "Is that . . . is _that_ -?"

The beam never leaving her eyes, Tessa bit down on her bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, it's been pretty active since breakfast. Ethan's already felt it, as well as Glenn and Maggie and then Dale and whoever else wanted to feel too!" She gave a good-natured laugh and a flippant shrug. "I mean, I tried telling them that maybe this should wait until another time 'cause I wanted you to feel it for the first time, but ya know everyone when it comes to a pregnant woman feeling her baby's first stirrings! Everyone absolutely loses their shit in excitement!"

Daryl hardly heard her. He was still in amazement over the movements going on underneath his palms. "Holy . . . fuckin' _shit_ . . .!" He murmured in breathless amazement as he hastily shoved his crossbow into Ethan's hands before allowing his other hand to come up and rest on her stomach as well, just above her belly button. "Wow . . ." His grin, which Tessa couldn't remember seeing quite so wide before this moment, spread through his voice. "Does - does it hurt?" He asked, suddenly concerned as the movements shifted slightly, Tessa quickly moving their hands to follow it and she shrugged.

"No, it feels like . . . like butterflies?" She laughed at the curious look he shot her and gave another shrug. "They'll grow stronger and more prevalent as the pregnancy progresses but right now, they feel like butterflies."

Tessa let go of his hands then when he was successfully following the movements on his own, and moved to place hers on the small of her back. She arched her back slightly, eyes closing in bliss as it popped slightly. She loved this time of the year. The late summer heat was finally subsiding, leaving the cooler breezes and the warm sunshine - a combination that she had loved since she was very little. It reminded her of the other Indian summers of her childhood. That and Daryl's warm, gentle hands on her stomach feeling his baby move within her, made her heart flutter with love in her chest.

Daryl watched with a soft, loving eye as Tessa lazily enjoyed the sunlight. He had heard of women glowing when they were pregnant, but he always thought it was a bullshit pregnancy myth. But dammit all if Tessa wasn't standing there in front of him just sparkling like a damn diamond! He knew he could blame it on the sun's rays, but he also knew that was the baby - _their_ baby - that made her look like that.

Her face turned upwards into the sun then, the ebony black strands of her hair hanging loosely around her face – the thick locks free of their customary clip for once. They just brushed her jaw and her shoulders and the tops of her breasts on their way down to the small of her back. The unique natural blue highlights found themselves shifting to the surface, causing her hair to shimmer in the bright sunlight. A small, content smile played across her features and his heart twisted in his chest for a moment.

At that moment, he was damn sure that he had never seen a woman look more beautiful than Tessa right at that moment, standing right there in front of him with his hands on her pregnant stomach – where their child slumbered beneath her heart.

"Babydoll, I gotta . . . I gotta go . . ."

Daryl's voice when he spoke after a moment of complete and utter blissful silence was one of skillfully hidden mourning, for he hated to leave her at a moment like that. However, Tessa didn't seem to mind. Her smile was bright and cheery as she nodded and moved closer to him, where she pressed a loving to his lips, one that he readily reciprocated for a moment until she broke apart. With another smile that he could swear to God warmed his very soul, she turned around and set off back down the hill towards the camp. They could see Maggie and Lori watching them and waiting for her and Daryl nodded to them in greeting. They nodded back, Lori's a bit more hesitant compared to Maggie's and when Daryl turned around to rejoin his son, he scowled at the look of grinning amusement on Ethan's face.

"Watch out or ya face might freeze thatta way!" He told him, his voice gruff, however, Ethan ignored him and continued to grin as he turned and followed his father towards the woods, shouldering his bow as he did so.

"Deddy, do ya love momma?" His voice, not in the inquiring tone that Carl often took when he asked Rick or Lori that question, was one of playful teasing instead, and Daryl shot him another gruff look. Ethan could see the look of shining amusement echoing in his eyes, though, and that alone seemed to make Ethan's grin just a bit bigger.

"Well no shit, Captain Obvious!" Daryl retorted and Ethan shook his head, the grin remaining on his face as they ducked into the cool interior of the forest.

"Well shit, you're welcome, Lieutenant Sarcasm!" The corners of Daryl's lips twitched in a smile as he pretended to divert all his attentions onto the surrounding environment.

"How 'bout ya watch ya language?" He muttered good-naturedly, and Ethan snorted.

"Like ya really care about how and what I speak! No offense, deddy, but ya ain't got the best English in the world either!" Daryl shook his head.

"Can I be completely honest?" Ethan nodded and immediately Daryl shared his grin.

"That whole watchin' ya language thing is all ya momma. Me? I couldn' give a rat's ass! Hell, the way I sees it . . .!" He pointed a finger at him. "Don' be correctin' my Engish – ya can understand me, can' ya?" Ethan grinned and shook his head again as he let out a little laugh.

"I love ya deddy!" He laughed and Daryl gave a half-shrug.

"Yeah, ya better 'cause this redneck hick's the only one ya got now!" Ethan shrugged.

"Well, if it's any consolation . . . ya much better than Sam ever was." Daryl slowed down for a minute and turned to glance at him.

"Is that so?" Ethan nodded.

"Yup," He shrugged again. "After all, you're the one I'm callin' deddy, ain't I?" He shook his head. "Remember, I told you: I couldn't call him deddy – it didn't sound right." Daryl grinned, secretly cheering inside as they continued on their way. They stayed in silence for a while before Daryl broke it.

"So . . . what's goin' on with ya and Hershel's daughter lately?"

"You mean Beth?" Ethan offered cautiously and Daryl nodded and glanced back at him.

"Yeah . . . what's goin' on with ya two?" Ethan shrugged.

"It's . . . nothing much, I don't suspect," His eyes narrowed slightly. "This ain't . . ." He shook his head. "Deddy, I already know where babies come from!" Daryl rolled his eyes in slight irritation and sarcasm both.

"Yeah I know that, and no, it's not! We already had that whole . . . birds and the bees conversation, 'member?" Ethan nodded, remembering the awkward conversation they had, had the first time around regarding him and Beth. Tessa had been right – they _had _been awkward together and from that moment on, Daryl and Ethan's conversations regarding Beth had been Daryl starting out by asking what the latest news was between them. They found it was a lot less awkward when it started out as a simple light conversation.

"Have ya done her yet?"

"Deddy, don't be crass."

"It's a simple question!"

"Yeah, a simple question that ya should already know the answer to!"

Daryl glanced back at him, saw the slight irritation in his son's eyes and immediately knew the answer. He shook his head. "It's for the best . . . ya too young." He muttered and Ethan nodded.

"I know . . . momma's already said the same thing and I . . . I happen to agree." Daryl glanced back at him, a note of interest in his tone.

"Ya do . . .?" Ethan nodded and glanced into the woods in order not to meet his father's piercing, searching blue gaze.

"Yeah . . . not-to-mention she has Jimmy to do all that shit with . . ." Daryl sensed the slight hurt in Ethan's voice and he gave a half-shrug of indifference. He suspected it wasn't so much that Ethan agreed with them, probably as much as it was Beth didn't want to cheat on Jimmy . . . or that Ethan was a little young despite his looks and temperament and she knew it and wanted to wait. But then again, Beth had been different since the barnyard massacre those three months ago. She had been reclusive and suicidal afterwards and then, after her botched suicide attempt in which case she had tried to slice her wrists with a broken piece of mirror, she had changed. She had adopted a new outlook on life, yes, but she was no longer the carefree young woman that had originally found herself gravitating towards Ethan. Daryl found that he didn't have the heart to tell him that maybe Beth wasn't the girl he was looking for – that maybe _Ethan _wasn't the guy that she was looking for - not anymore, anyway.

"Well, don' take it too hard. I was a late bloomer so, Hell – it might be in ya genes if ya take after me and not ya uncle Merle!" Ethan cast a look of interest his direction.

"Well . . . when did ya start?" The question came out hesitant and Daryl was suddenly hit with the realization that what Tessa had said about Ethan looking up to him was not a complete load of bullshit. He _could _be having this conversation with Glenn, but instead, was having it with him. He felt . . . damn near honored.

He gave yet another half shrug. "I think I was . . . seventeen? Ya momma was sixteen," He shook his head. "Not to say . . . _too _much, but the first time me and ya momma slept together was both of our first times. So don' feel bad – late bloomin' is in ya genes," He scoffed then. "Unless, of course, ya do take after ya uncle Merle, and then Hell . . ." He chuckled then. "Then ya ain' gonna be _nothin'_ like a late bloomer!" Ethan nodded, immediately realizing that he didn't want to know what his father meant by that because he had a vague feeling that he didn't want to lose his lunch.

* * *

"Tessa, you've probably heard me say this before, but Daryl is _so_ adorable!"

Tessa let out a slightly surprised laugh and her eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion at Maggie's words. Her, Maggie and Lori were standing in the kitchen getting lunch prepared when Maggie chose that time to speak, a grin appearing on her face then. She glanced up at her and cocked her head slightly to the side.

"What do ya mean?" She asked and Maggie shook her head as she continued chopping up tomatoes into little triangle slices to be later placed in the big salad bowl sitting on the island counter beside her.

"It's nothing really, he just . . ." She shook her head and shot her a grin. "He looked like a kid in a damn candy store out there, when ya showed him his baby moving. It was . . . the look on his face was just adorable!" Tessa chuckled then, her eyes softening as she nodded.

"I wake up every morning with his hand on my belly but for some reason, feeling that movement at that moment was different," She shook her head and gave a slight laugh. "I swear to God, he's more excited about this baby than I am!" Lori shook her head and gave an amused laugh too.

"You can say that again!" She spoke with a wink and Tessa grinned. She could tell that ever since their wreck together, Lori's movements around her had become slightly more mechanical. She didn't know if it was because Lori still couldn't bring herself to forgive herself for causing the wreck that had wounded her friend or because she was jealous of her and Daryl's relationship – the relationship that seemed to grow stronger with every second their baby remained alive and moving within her womb and with every breath she took and every bite of food she ate that strengthened their child.

"Oh come on, Lori, I'm sure Rick is just as excited for your baby as Daryl is for ours!" She told her good-naturedly, the grin remaining on her face as a laugh left her lips and for a moment, Tessa thought she saw Lori's movements falter slightly and a certain hardness to appear in her eyes. Of course, Tessa didn't know that Rick and Lori were no longer as affectionate with each other behind closed doors as they once were – that Rick no longer treated her as the woman he loved and lived for anymore - not like he used to. And yeah, he still held her at night and he still kissed her good night and good morning, but they were nothing like the kisses Daryl and Tessa shared in the morning and evening – indeed, every minute of the day where they figured they could spare each other a soft look, a gentle touch and a loving kiss. Hell, they no longer made love like they used to since Rick found out that she was pregnant – not at all like the way Daryl and Tessa still did too. In fact, if anything, Daryl knowing Tessa was pregnant only made him want her more! In fact, nothing was like it used to be because Lori chose not to tell her much anymore, although many times she was tempted to simply because she knew that Tessa would listen with absolutely no judgment.

And then there was the hate – the hate that seemed to be wrapping up Lori the longer she stood by and allowed it to. She hated seeing Tessa and Maggie's friendship grow by the day while their's waned and she knew that their friendship would no longer be on the rocks if only she chose to confide in her friend the same way that Tessa continued to confide in her and was starting to confide in Maggie. However, she found it difficult, if not outright impossible and suddenly understood why Tessa had, had such a hard time telling Daryl she was pregnant.

But more than anything, she hated the way that Rick was starting to look towards Tessa for advice and input in everything ranging from the mundane (matters that he had once looked to her for) to the important, in which case he would also start to look towards Daryl quicker than he would Shane. In fact, when Tessa had announced that she felt her baby's first movements early that morning, Rick had been one of the first in line to feel it, a grin on his face as they grouped around her, her hand on his, guiding it to best feel the movement. However, when _she_ had first felt her baby's first movements, he had simply nodded and smiled.

The sight broke her heart but she knew it was just her being hopelessly paranoid. Rick just considered her, Daryl and Ethan as close family friends and was just being his usual good-hearted and kind self. And Tessa would rather kill herself than _ever _think about cheating on Daryl.

Then why could she not get the sight of a grinning Rick with his hands on another grinning woman's pregnant belly, out of her mind.

She felt Tessa and Maggie's eyes on her and it took her a moment to realize that she had stood there for a while, not speaking a word. Eventually, she smiled tightly and nodded. "Y-yeah – of course he's excited! Not as excited as Daryl is, of course, but yeah, he's pretty excited!" Maggie nodded, content with the older woman's answer but Tessa continued to gaze at her friend for a moment, her face becoming expressionless. Eventually, after a moment of further silence, she hooked her hand around her friend's elbow and after excusing themselves, pulled her into the nearby dining room. She dragged her through the dining room to the front door and when they door opened and closed, Lori found her and Tessa standing out on the front porch alone, Tessa gazing at her expectantly with her arms crossed in front of her chest and her foot tapping impatiently.

"Okay, honey, what's wrong?" She asked and Lori gave a laugh.

"What do you mean -?"

"Don't hand me that bullshit, Lori!" Tessa interrupted her sternly. "You've been acting strange for the last few days and if I dare to go further back, it's probably been for these last three months. Now tell me, what the Hell has been going on?"

Lori stood there, gazing at her dumbly for a moment before her eyes suddenly filled with tears. She crossed her arms helplessly in front of her chest and gave a weak, pitiful shrug. "What _hasn't _gone on, Tess?"

* * *

Tessa still found herself feeling numb when Rick and Shane returned later with the kid, much to the confusion of everyone else. She had stood there for all of possibly half an hour to a full hour and allowed Lori to pour her heart and soul out onto Tessa on the front porch, tears and all, and when she was done, Tessa felt as emotionally drained as Lori surely had been feeling for the last three months of her life! After hugging her tightly afterwards and telling her that everything would be alright, they returned to preparing lunch, however, this time, it was damn near in silence - a silence that even Maggie herself felt. She had then returned to camp claiming her need to rest and instead, had taken a seat outside her and Daryl's tent where she begin mulling over everything Lori had poured onto her.

There were her fears over Rick knowing the baby wasn't his and then judging her because of it . . .

Her completely irrational fears that he harbored a secret love for _her_ . . .

Fears that he no longer found her attractive because there was the possibility the baby inside her wasn't his . . .

Tessa shook her head in slight exasperation as she looked up and saw Daryl and Ethan returning to camp, a good amount of squirrels and rabbits swinging from their belts. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the grins on their faces and the laughter in their voices. She was glad they were getting along so well, especially after the little spat they had, had months ago.

"You want a penny for your thoughts?"

Tessa jumped slightly and glanced up when she heard Rick's soft voice. She smiled a small smile as he joined her, although she couldn't help the way her heart kicked into overtime when she saw him approach her. Did he really . . . look at her in that way – the way that Lori was convinced he looked at her? She had never noticed it before but then again, Daryl had always been who she thought about in that way – who she would _ever _think about in that way.

She was convinced that it was just Rick being his normal good-hearted self and she was sure that it was only that.

She shrugged and gave a small smile. "Nothing much, just needed some time to myself I guess - to think." She turned her eyes onto Daryl and Ethan making their way to the camp then and she knew he followed her eyes. He smiled and nodded.

"It seems like they brought in a good load today!" Tessa nodded and glanced up at him again, pride in her eyes.

"Don't they always, though?" Rick smiled and nodded.

"Ethan's a good kid, Tess, and Daryl has certainly grown in maturity since you two arrived. You're lucky, Hell – Daryl's a lucky guy himself!" Tessa smiled and glanced up at him again. She nodded and told him she knew but underneath it all, she still couldn't help her heart calm down any. It was just him being his normal good-hearted self, right?

Right?

He heaved a sigh then, his hands moving to his hips. "What's Daryl doing after he gets done with those squirrels and rabbits, do ya know?" Tessa shrugged.

"I don't have any idea," She turned an interested gaze onto him. "Why?"

Rick shrugged then but he had a look in his eyes that Tessa didn't rightly like. "Nothing much, I just . . . I need him to do something."

"Is it something that the rest of you don't wanna do?" Tessa asked him, her worries and her anger deepening slightly and Rick's gaze snapped onto hers. He shook his head.

"No, Tess, it's nothing like that, I promise! It's just . . . it's more physical than any of us are used to and Daryl knows more about physical matters than the rest of us!" Tessa shook her head as she got to her feet, her eyes flitting to the shed that held the kid. Shane and Andrea loitered around the front and she shook her head again, immediately knowing what they needed Daryl to do.

"That's a very nice way of saying you need Daryl to beat the shit out of someone!" She snapped and Rick immediately shook his head and stepped towards her, where his hands gently grasped her upper arms.

"Oh no, Tess, it's nothing like that! We simply need to know more about his group and we need Daryl in case the kid gets violent!" Tessa shook her head, her eyes darting back towards the shed where Shane's pacing was getting more and more predatory. She pulled herself out of his grasp with a yank and Rick allowed her to go.

"The kid's tied up and weighs a buck fifty wet! Why the Hell would he choose to get violent with you guys?" Rick heaved a sigh. His eyes were sad when he gazed at her.

"Tessa, we need Daryl."

"Why are you asking my permission? He's his own man – he can do what he wants!" She snapped out and Rick shook his head.

"Yes, but he won't do anything without your say-so, though. For the sake of the group, we need him to do this!" Tessa shook her head, her gaze one of subdued shock.

"How can you condone this? How can you condone _him _doing this? That kid's no older than Ethan – how could he possibly do that on good conscious!" Rick gave a weak shrug.

"We can't. Not one of this doing this, can we condone this. But if it will take us one step closer to protecting the group – to protecting Ethan and Carl and the babies that you and Lori will eventually have, then we will gladly do it!" Tessa's teeth gritted.

"And Daryl's just the mean kind of son-of-a-bitch to do it right? Forget the fact that he has a son who looks up to him and who he's trying to change for," She shook her head and blinked back furious tears. "Maybe you should start looking towards your own family, Rick, before you try to destroy another. After all, isn't the road to Hell paved with good intentions?"


	26. Chapter 26

**Guest: I melted while _writing _the baby moving scene and as always, I have a very fun time writing the Daryl and Ethan scenes :)**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been feeling kind of sick and considering I just now got Season 3, we can moved this along at a slightly faster pace than normal. I am also in the works of debating whether to continue Season 3 in this story with just another Part (ex. Part 1 would be Season 1 and 2, Part 2 would be season 3 etc, etc) or continuing Season 3 in a completely different story. Let me know what you guys think in the reviews :)**

**Read, Review and Enjoy!**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Rick remembered standing there in stunned shock for a moment after hearing her words before numbly watching as she spun around on her heels and marched off in the direction of Daryl and Ethan. He saw her wipe at bitter tears as she went and his heart ached slightly but he shook his head, knowing he had no right to feel such things. Daryl, Tessa and Ethan were close friends – as close family friends as Shane was . . . or had been, anyway. After the way he had turned so furiously on him when they were at the government building attempting to drop off the kid, Rick knew he could no longer place his stock in his old highschool friend. Shane was growing too unpredictable - too unstable. Rick found that he was starting to need a new second, someone who he _could _rely on in hairy situations as well as who would help him make the right calls - someone who had his own family to look after and wouldn't have time to needlessly worry about his other than what was absolutely necessary. But yet, he also needed someone that his _family _could rely on too.

His eyes flitted to Tessa again and watched her as she finally closed the distance between her, Daryl and their son. He watched as she placed a soft hand on his forearm and spoke to him, Daryl moving to place the belt of squirrels and rabbits on the table in front of him with unnecessary slowness as he pinned his eyes onto her. It was a slowness that screamed of the intent way with which he was listening to her, the hand underneath her arm absolutely still. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and their eyes met for the briefest of moments over Tessa's shoulder. Rick sighed and placed his hands on his hips as eventually, Daryl gave her a curt nod before pushing gently past her and approached him.

"Ya needed to talk to me?" He asked and Rick nodded as he glanced towards the shed, Daryl followed his gaze.

"Yeah, we uh . . . we need your help getting information out of the kid." Daryl nodded and moved to chew briefly on the corner of his thumbnail.

"Tess mentioned somethin' like that. We can only imagine what I'll need to do and needless to say, she's not exactly happy with it." Rick turned an interested, slightly relieved gaze onto him.

"But you'll do it?" Daryl shrugged as his hands dropped to his sides.

"It's for the protection of the group, right? She understands that. She don' like it none, but she understands it," He gave another shrug then and turned a keen gaze onto him. Daryl might not have been the most educated man on the face of the planet but he wasn't stupid by any means. He caught a lot of things that many people wouldn't and called it just him being observant. And Rick would agree with him – he had never met a man more observant than Daryl Dixon.

"Not-to-mention, ya'd rather have me do it than Shane, right? Unlike jackass, I actually have some self-control – I know when to stop when the kid can' take anymore," He smiled a small, slightly sarcastic smile. "Ya think _Shane _doesn' – that or ya _afraid_ that he doesn'!" Rick returned his small smile but unlike Daryl, there was no undertone to it. He clapped a hand on his shoulder and Daryl had to physically restrain himself from recoiling away from the touch. Rick noticed and let up a little but his hand remained on her shoulder nonetheless.

"Well maybe Daryl, I'm in the works of searching for another man that I can put me and my family's trust into." Daryl couldn't help but recoil at those words and when he turned to glance behind him at Tessa, at her just starting to show her pregnancy and at the wisps of blue black hair that fluttered around her as she grinned and joked with Ethan, he pursed his lips and turned back to Rick.

"Jus' as long as ya don' mind me puttin' my family ahead of yours if things turn that way," He shook his head. "I gotta look out for 'em, Rick – I can' be puttin' anyone else before 'em, especially now that Tessa's pregnant! And speakin' she's almost useless with a weapon that doesn' have a pointy end, she . . . she needs me." Rick nodded, a halfway relieved smile appearing in his eyes and on his face at his words.

"That, Daryl, is perfectly fine by me!"

He recoiled again, knowing that deep down inside Rick was referring to the little thing between Lori and Shane and was glad that Daryl wouldn't be that way. He found himself scoffing inside at the mere thought of that. He would have a better chance of Tessa leaving him again - for _Merle_ - than him _ever _touch Lori in the way that Shane had.

But good Lord people, how do you _not _notice two fully grown people disappear in the woods together and not reappear for hours at a time? They weren't exactly in there knitting tea cozies!

* * *

"Hey . . ."

Rick, Shane and Andrea turned around when they Tessa approach them and the closed shed doors, an expressionless look on her face. Rick nodded towards them and they nodded back before they left, heading in opposite directions in order to give them some privacy. Shane hung back a little ways but eventually, he loitered off after seemingly eons and Rick turned a slightly interested gaze back onto Tessa when they were alone.

"Tess, what are you doing here?" He asked, hardly missing the flinch that wracked through her petite frame when the sounds of punching flesh could be heard from inside the shed accompanied seconds later by cries and Daryl's angrily yelling out:

"You ain' told me shit!"

Then suddenly, there came a great weight that they heard crashing into one of the walls. Rick swallowed hard, suddenly very, very regretful that he had asked Daryl to do this in the first place and that Tessa was standing there with him, having to listen to it. Tessa shook her head.

"I thought . . . I thought I should be the first thing he sees coming out of that Hell . . . something to bring him back to ground, ya know?" Rick nodded in agreement as she glanced at him. "How long has he been in there for?" Rick swallowed heavily.

"He just went in. He's been in for only about fifteen minutes now, I think . . ." His voice came out tense and slightly awkward and Tessa nodded as she swallowed heavily as well, her face becoming stony as the kid tried telling him that he didn't know the guys that he had been with – that he had just met them on the road and Daryl replied with a demand of how many there were in his group before the kid evaded the question by pleading with him. Seconds later, cries and yells of pain could be heard again, as well and Daryl's voice rising in order be heard over him. Tessa's arms moved to cross in front of her chest, where she hugged herself tightly.

"How many of ya are there?!"

"Uh-Uh thirty – there's thirty guys!"

"Where are they?"

"Uh . . ." The yells of pain came again, but shorter this time, and Daryl's voice dropped down to a slightly more menacing tone. "I don't know, I swear! We were never anywhere longer than a night -!"

"Were ya scoutin'? Were ya plannin' on stayin' local?"

"I don't know – they left me behind!"

"Have ya ever picked off a scab before?" Tessa's ears immediately pricked up when she heard those words leave Daryl's lips and immediately, her heart jumped up to a frantic beat when she realized that he was repeating what she had said just months ago when Patricia and Maggie had tried removing her jeans before stitching up her wound.

And for some reason, Daryl repeating those lines then, as he stood in there and tortured some poor kid, made Tessa feel sick to her stomach.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tess - you okay?"

"Come on, man; I'm trying to cooperate!"

"Ya start out real slow at first, but then sooner or later, ya jus' gotta _rip it off_!"

The kid let out another yelp of pain at that before he quickly acquiesced. Tessa, who had started to steadily collapse to the ground, was now being supported by Rick. She was still sick to her stomach at knowing that Daryl had dared to use her own words in such a context and it was then that she realized just how dire things in there was. "Tess, are you okay?" Rick's gentle but firm voice reached her and she nodded as he slowly backed away from her, his eyes wide and worried. Hershel had said Tessa was to undergo no extreme amounts of stress, and he found himself wondering if this was that extreme amount of stress that they had been warned about.

"They have weapons!" The kid started out by saying. "Heavy stuff too – like automatics," He was stammering by then. "But I didn't do anything, I swear!"

"Ya boys shot at ma boys; tried to take this farm! Ya just went along for the ride – ya tryin' to tell me that ya _innocent_?" Daryl replied, his eyes cold as he held the kid's eyes – as he twisted the hunting knife more poignantly into his leg and the fear in the kid's eyes was clearly readable. However, Daryl didn't see it. He simply shut himself down – shut himself down and then tucked that side of him away from what was actually happening. Right then, he wasn't a loving father or a doing lover or a best friend. At that moment, he was the one mean motor scooter that would haunt the kid's dreams for as long as he continued to live.

The 'yes' the kid shot at him then was so emphatic that Daryl had no choice but to back off, the tip of his hunting knife withdrawing from the kid's wound. The kid had also bonked his head on the wooden wall behind him when she said it and then sat there, dazed for a minute before having the strength to reply to him. His breathing started to tear ragged from his chest as Tessa shook his head.

"You do realize that he's channeling all the frustrations and anger that he's had these past months, into torturing that poor kid, right?" She spoke and Rick deigned not to speak, opting for Tessa to continue on as the pads of her fingers skated over the smooth black amulet hanging alongside her wooden one - the one that Daryl had given her. "All his anger at me since I came back – all the frustrations I've given him with this whole pregnancy and this Merle and me thing . . . Hell, even his anger at you guys leaving Merle behind and the frustration of never finding him – it's all being channeled right now. He could do some pretty heavy damage if he's not careful and if he wanted to . . . he could be vicious."

"How do you know?" He asked and Tessa glanced at him.

"I've only seen him that angry once, Rick . . . and it didn't exactly end pretty, especially for his father. He was so angry, I almost didn't get him back."

"These – these people took me in!" The kid's voice brought their attentions back onto the shed and the two people currently locked inside. Rick saw Tessa swallow heavily again and her arms around herself tighten slightly. "They are not just guys, though – there's a whole group of 'em! There's men and woman, kids, too – just like you people. Thought I'd have a better chance with them, you know? But . . ." He trailed off and swallowed the lump that had been steadily forming in his throat the entire time, finding it quite hard to tear his eyes away from Daryl's cold, piercing blue gaze as he paced in front of him like a predator with his prey in his sights. "We go out and we scavenge – just the men. One night we-we found this little campsite. There were this man and his two daughters - teenagers, ya know? They were real young . . . real cute . . ." He trailed off again, turning a gaze up to Daryl that he couldn't rightly place and his lips pursed in angry irritation as he continued to pace for a moment before turning his back to the kid. He didn't even want to look at the kid right now . . . if he did, he'd strangle him, because he already had a pretty good idea on where this little confession/monologue was going.

"Their daddy had to watch while these guys, they . . ." He stopped then, unable to finish what he was saying and Daryl felt his hands ball into fists as the kid turned a pleading gaze up to him, his voice becoming quicker. "And they didn't even kill him afterwards, too! They just – they just made him watch as his daughters – they just-just – just left him there afterwards." He shook his head again. "But-but-but I didn't touch those girls – no sir, I didn't! No, I swear, I didn't -!" The kid let out another crying yell of pain as Daryl's boot connected hard to his side. Tessa jumped again at the yell and Rick settled a calming hand on her shoulder, resisting the urge to take her in his arms. And likewise, Tessa found herself resisting the same urge not to fall into his arms.

And Daryl supposed that it _had_ been his fault that he had ended up kicking the kid a little harder than he probably should have – Hell, he had kicked him hard enough to where he'd probably be pissing blood for a week! But he had allowed himself to stand there listening to this kid talk about the rape of two innocent teenage girls and suddenly, he envisioned it being him – the father or the man who had to watch. He envisioned one of the girls being Tessa and the other as the daughter that she would possibly bare him – their little Cat Liz. He had allowed his imagination to run wild and currently, this kid was reaping the (rather questionable) benefits.

Daryl stood there, allowing his anger to continue to boil, as the kid lay there in a pool of his own quickly growing blood, pleading with him through his own sobs. "Please – please – I'm not like that! I ain't like that . . ." He shook his head. "Please, please, you gotta believe me!"

Daryl felt himself shutting even more of himself away – the side that when he would leave the shed, he would take out and wear around Ethan and Tessa, almost as smoothly as him slipping on his black leather vest. It was the _good _side of him - the good wolf. He delivered another resounding kick to the kid's stomach that had him turning in on himself with the pain again.

This time, the kid screamed out in pain and this time, Daryl almost couldn't bring himself to stop.

* * *

A few moments later, Rick noticed Lori walking along the camp, clearly wanting to talk to him and Rick touched her gently on the shoulder. She, rather reluctantly, turned her eyes onto him and his lips pursed at the sight of her teary eyes. "I gotta go check with the others. Will you be fine here by yourself?" Tessa nodded, her arms remaining in front of her chest, and Rick nodded in turn before he turned around and moved back up to the campsite and the others, leaving Tessa quite alone and waiting for a Daryl that she didn't know if she wanted to face.

And eventually, the Daryl that exited the shed moments later, was just the one that Tessa had feared who walk out. He was no Daryl that Tessa recognized or loved. Gone was the Daryl she knew – the one that she brought out in him – the good wolf. In his place was the bad wolf – the vicious Daryl.

"Oh my God, baby -!"

"Where's Rick?" He asked gruffly, interrupting her and she shook her head, her eyes wide with shock. They lingered for a moment longer than necessary on his bloody hands and split knuckles and she felt her stomach roil.

"He's over at the camp with the others – but my God, Daryl, _what did you do_?" She asked him, and when he ignored her and took a couple of steps towards the camp, her jaw hardened and she moved to step defiantly in front of him. When her hands landed on his chest, his eyes finally moved down to connect with hers and she shook her head, her voice lowering to a shaky whisper. "Daryl, what did you do?"

Fear encased her heart in an icy coldness when she saw that his eyes were just as dead and expressionless as they had been that one time, so long ago, when his father had overstepped the one boundary that he never should have tried stepping over. She found herself praying that the good wolf was still in there somewhere – that the bad wolf – the vicious Daryl – was only temporary. Tears appeared in her eyes then as she gently touched his stubbled cheek with the tips of his fingers and for a moment, she recognized a flicker of him coming back – a flicker of something in his eyes. They warmed slightly and when he caught her hand and moved it away from him, it was to take it instead, their fingers entwining as he moved past her and continued on to the group, Tessa quickly wiping away her tears as they went.

"Boy there has a gang he was ridin' with – 'bout thirty men," He spoke as they closed the distance between them, his voice no-nonsense and his walk brisk. "They got heavy artillery and they ain' exactly lookin' to make friends," He finished when they finally met and he stopped moving. Tessa remained clinging to his hand - as if it was only lifeline tethering her to the Daryl she knew and loved. She didn't like this strange, no bullshit Daryl. This Daryl was too much like Merle for her comfort. "If they roll through here, our boys are dead," He continued on before he glanced down at the still shaken Tessa standing beside him. Their eyes met and he swallowed heavily. "And our women . . . they're gonna. . ." His hand squeezed Tessa's and she immediately squeezed back. "They're gonna wish they were."

"What did you do?" Carol asked him in immediate worry as she nodded towards his bloody and split knuckles before her eyes finally landed onto Tessa standing beside him. She was trembling, her hands latched onto him until they were white. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight and when he glanced down at his knuckles, it seemed that, that woke him up a little more. He averted his eyes to the ground as he moved in the direction of their tent, Tessa readily following him.

"We had a little chat – that was it. Where's Ethan?"

"He's with Glenn and Maggie in the house - why?" Carol asked, her voice quick as she turned around to follow them with her eyes, and Daryl nodded and glanced back at her.

"Check in on him, okay?" She nodded and they heard Rick tell everyone that no one, under any circumstances, was to go near Randall except for him and Hershel (and that was only to patch up any cuts and lacerations that he had gotten from Daryl) but they both chose to block out anything further of the conversation, including the way Carol's eyes stayed pinned on them.

They ducked into their tent seconds later, Tessa turning around to zip up the entrance behind them, giving them some semblance of privacy. He sat down on the edge of the mattress, feeling a sudden weariness descend upon him as he did so, and Tessa immediately got down on her knees in front of him, in-between his parted legs, and picked up his hand – the hand that was bloodier than the other and whose knuckles were split open the worst. It was his punching hand and she flinched slightly at the sight of all that blood that did not exactly come from gutting squirrels or rabbits. She shook her head, her eyes widening slightly.

"I don't . . ." She stopped and shook her head, tears filling her eyes. She blinked them back, desperate for them not to fall while she was in front of a side of Daryl she didn't know. "Daryl, I'm not Patricia or Hershel - I don't know what I can do with these other than clean them. I think they'll have to heal on their own, though. I-I-I need water and-and soap -!"

"Tessa . . ."

"Yeah, one minute - I'll be right back; I just gotta go get water -!"

"Tess, babydoll, wait a minute!"

He held her back by reaching out and taking her hand in his, his grip firm but gentle. He kept her from going anywhere with that one little grip and when she turned around to face him, she almost missed the bowing of his head. Her eyebrows furrowed as his hand left hers to wearily rub his face. A look of confusion appeared on her face and it wasn't until then that his shoulders started shaking in silent sobs and she started realizing that she had the old Daryl back – that she had the good wolf back.

He shook his head, clear misery flowing through him. "Tess, what the _fuck_ did I just do? What the _fuck_ did I just do to that kid?"

Tessa immediately swallowed hard, tears prickling in her eyes as well as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her in a tight, hard embrace. His face moved to bury in the crook of her neck as her fingers curled into his hair, holding him close. Her heart ached at the realization that she had her old Daryl back and she took a shuddering breath. She felt a few drops of wetness on the skin of her neck and knew that they were tears, however, she also knew that they would be the only tears he would give her. Daryl wasn't a crying man - he had never been a crying man. He preferred to suffer in silence but at that moment, being alone was the last thing he wanted to do.

His hands sought out her stomach and she shook her head and let out a laugh. "It ain't moving anymore. Probably tired itself out from this morning," She laughed and Daryl nodded and she felt him smile against her neck. His hands didn't move, though, still continued that same gentle touch on her stomach, and it was then that Tessa knew that he wasn't angry at himself from torturing the kid. The kid was, after all, an enemy – an enemy who had valuable intelligence that they desperately needed. But no . . . it was because the kid was young – maybe only a few years older than Ethan or Beth were. It had felt close to him actually torturing his own son.

"Daryl, you had me so scared -!"

"Tess, listen to me. In order to do what I had to do to that kid, I had to go to a _very _dark place," He shook his head as he brought his head up out of her neck and turned his gaze onto her. His eyes were wide and slightly frightened when he gazed at her. "It was the same place I had to go in order . . ." He trailed off and she knew he was referring to his father. When he spoke again, he partially changed the subject. "I was –I was so terrified of bringin' that home to ya and Ethan – what I did! - that I . . . I separated myself from it – prolly a little too much!" She shook her head, her eyes betraying the bewilderment that she felt inside.

"Daryl, you almost didn't come back!" She told him, her voice thick with emotion, and he nodded.

"I know, babydoll, I know! And I don' ever wanna do that again, Tess. I don' ever wanna go to that place again!" She nodded in agreement and Daryl stayed silent for a while before turning his eyes back onto her. "If Rick asks me to do somethin' like that again, we . . ." He heaved a sigh and shook his head. "We gotta leave. I can' do that again, Tess - I jus' can'!"

And suddenly, Daryl's walls were down – completely down – and she saw a vulnerability there that momentarily scared her. She quickly pulled him back into her arms again and held him close, feeling his arms wrap around her as well moments later. They sat there and held each other for a moment and when they broke apart, Tessa saw his walls were back up and she let out a relieved breath. Daryl had always had his vulnerabilities – his many insecurities stemming from a harsh childhood. Tessa had battled with them since their first day together as a couple back in the highschool, however, at that moment she didn't think she wanted to face them at that moment.

In fact, she didn't think either of them had the strength to at that moment.


	27. Chapter 27

**scoobydoo0811 - Thanks for the review, I needed it lol. I've been doubting lately whether or not I've been writing him a little OC lately but apparently I'm not and I'm happy about it. Its fun too, to write him when on those emotional playing fields. :)**

**There is a rather nice, tall (slightly angry) glass of lemonade in this chapter because, I don't know, I felt like it? There is almost some pretty fun dirty talk in this chapter too and normally I don't write dirty talk for various reasons but in this one I felt like I had to. Don't know why, just did ;)**

**And may I inquire as to where my reviewers have gone? Like, literally, they have faded away into the wall work. Come back, please, I miss you guys XD**

* * *

"So, what do you think about this whole thing?"

Tessa glanced up at Dale standing before her, customary rifle slung over his shoulder, and shrugged. She was sitting in front of the cooking fire, skinning and gutting some of the squirrels that Daryl and Ethan had brought back – anything to keep herself busy. While dropping the heads and other useless things into a bucket in-between her legs while depositing the cleanly skinned and gutted carcasses into another, she had barely heard Dale walk up to her, so entrenched in her thoughts were she.

"What's there to think about?" She asked him when he finally crossed the distance between them, Tessa shrugging as she spoke.

"I'd figure that you – a woman of learning – would be opposed to this – to the slaughter of an innocent boy!"

"Is he really innocent, though, Dale?" She asked him as she glanced back up at him again, her labor coming to a brief stop. "From what Daryl reports, he hasn't exactly been traveling with Buddhist Monks!" Dale shrugged.

"But does he really deserve to die for it? If it was truly as bad as Daryl reports, then how do you know that he wasn't coerced into doing it?" He asked, and Tessa heaved a sigh as she shook her head and finally turned her full attention onto Dale.

"I don't, Dale. I don't know if he was coerced or if he did it willingly, but quite frankly, I don't give a damn! I watched as Daryl walked in that shed as normal as could be but then returned wearing a side of him that I haven't seen in _decades_! I kneeled there, Dale, in our tent, and held him as he battled with himself over the right and wrongs of what he just done!" She shook her head, her lips pursing in slight irritation as her eyes turned stormy. "If you want my honest opinion, it's not exactly that kid's head I want on a spike right now. Right now, it's the person who forced Daryl to do that – who almost _made_ him lose himself that badly!" She shook her head as she returned to what she was doing. "And don't you say that Daryl is an adult and nobody can force him to anything – it was supposedly for the _good of the group_. And while I partially agree with that, none of you also saw how broken he was when we got into the tent. It took more than fucking super glue to piece him back together after that."

Dale shrugged. "So if your animosity is not towards that kid, then why not just agree with me and advocate for his release? It seems like you could simply do it in order to cause friction with this person you are referring to!" He spoke and Tessa paused for a moment before continuing.

"How old do you think he is?" She asked and Dale shrugged.

"He's older than Ethan but looks younger than Maggie, so probably around Beth's age?" Tessa nodded.

"You know . . . that was what hurt Daryl the most. It wasn't actually beating up and torturing another human being – no, he had been beat up and tortured his entire life since the time he could walk, so . . . that was just like welcoming back an old friend. What hurt him so badly was the realization that in a few years, that kid would be Ethan – that he _could _be Ethan."

"Then do it for Daryl's sake – do it because you're a mother to a son who will eventually be his age!" Dale suddenly spoke up, his voice regaining an impassioned tone and Tessa turned her eyes up to him, wide with surprise. Dale nodded and continued on. "If not for Daryl's sake, who I think could get some closure if this kid is set free – if he is given the chance for freedom that Daryl never gave him, then side with me because he is a kid who had a mother. Do it because you're a mother to a kid who's only a few years younger than him." Tessa let out a short laugh and shook her head.

"Last time I looked out for someone else's kid, not only did I almost get bit and later, it came back to bite me in the ass. Why should I look after another one?"

"That's why I say that doing it for Daryl's sake, is better," He told her stubbornly. "Daryl has never hurt you. Choosing Daryl's side has never led you astray. Please, side with me on releasing the kid because it could give Daryl some semblance of closure. Or do it because Ethan is close to his age – it doesn't really matter your reasoning in the end because you'll be upholding everything human that we cherished before all . . . _this_!" He shook his head as he gestured to their surroundings before taking a step closer to her. "But people listen to you, Tess – Rick, Lori, Hershel – they'll give your opinion consideration – you _and _Daryl's!" Tessa sat there and thought for a moment and while she did, Dale stepped closer to her still and got down on his haunches. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned a slightly shaky gaze onto him. He noticed her breathing had picked up as well. She was close to tears but refused to let them show.

"I know you're hurting, Tess. I know that Daryl is hurting – I know that your entire family is hurting right now with the exception of Ethan and that's only because you've kept him in the dark about what his father is going through right now. But does a kid deserve death for something he possibly has never done?" His gaze became pointed then. "Would _Ethan _deserve death for something he possibly had never done?"

She sat there for a moment, just holding his gaze and saying nothing before, quietly – so quietly that he could barely understand her, she finally spoke: "I'll think about it, Dale, but that's all I can promise you right now. You'll see what decision I come to whenever Rick calls the meeting okay?" She could tell from the look in Dale's eyes that it wasn't exactly the answer he had been hoping for, however, she could also see that he had no choice but to accept it.

* * *

"The only reason I come up here to do shit is to get away from ya people!"

Dale shrugged as he finished climbing the hill towards Daryl and the half-crumbling brick chimney. He was surprised to not see Ethan with him and once again wondered where the kid was. If he wasn't with Tessa then he was probably with Daryl but speaking he wasn't with Daryl . . . Dale found himself vaguely wondering where the kid could have gotten off to.

"It's a good place . . ." He admitted, and Daryl gave a scoffing laugh as he glanced at him.

"Did Tess send ya?" Dale shook his head as he propped one foot up on a nearby rock.

"Tess is not the only one that's concerned about you, you know – you or your new role in the group. Ever since you came back from that shed, I could see that you've changed a little and Hell, she even admitted as much!" Daryl shook his head as he began collecting the freshly made arrows for his crossbow. A couple had been done by Ethan, for practice, and he nodded in approval. Kid was getting good . . . pretty soon, he'd be making his own arrows.

"Oh man, I don' need my head shrunk! This group's broken – lost. I figured that out earlier today after I came out of that barn and only saw Tess waitin' for me," He shook his head. "I speak from personal experience when I say that torturin' people is crossin' a line – a line this group never should have crossed to begin with. Hell, they never should have even flirted with the idea!" He heaved a sigh before glancing at him. "Hell, if it wasn' for Tess and the baby needin' Hershel when their time came, I'd think we'd have a better time fendin' for ourselves!"

"You act like you don't care," Dale spoke keenly and Daryl nodded as he reached over and grabbed up his motorcycle vest. He pulled it on as he replied.

"Yeah, that's 'cause I don'! The only ones I care 'bout now are Tess, Ethan and ma baby. Might sound harsh, but the truth hurts sometimes."

Dale gazed at him for a moment, searchingly. "So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?" Daryl shook his head.

"Nope, not at all. Sorry."

"Even though Tess has already told me that, chances are, she's gonna stand with me? Why not stand with me too – with _us_ and try to save the kid's life, if it really doesn't matter one way or the other to you?" He asked and Daryl heaved another sigh.

"It's not that I don' _care_, its jus' . . . I feel that, after what I done to him today, I don' think I should be passin' judgment on him. Hell, I'm prolly gonna be his executioner too - why should I also be one of the men who condemn him?" He glanced at him as he straightened his vest. "And besides, I didn' peg ya for a desperate sumbitch."

"Whether you want to believe it or not, you and Tessa's opinion makes a difference in this group." He told him and Daryl shook his head as he bent down and picked up his arrows.

"Man, I can tell ya right now that ain' nobody lookin' at me for nothin', 'cept maybe Tess and Ethan. People may look towards Tess, but not me."

"Tess does, your right! Ethan and Carol do too and I am – right now. And you obviously – you have Rick's ear!"

"No, that's where ya wrong. Rick jus' looks towards _Shane_!" Daryl snapped at him, his voice when he spoke Shane's name harsh and slightly bitter. "And I say let him! It'll be his funeral." He turned around and walked off then, however, Dale's voice kept him from going much further than the crumbling chimney.

"You cared about what happened to Sophia. You cared about what it meant to the group – what it was doing to Tess, because _that's _when you got invested - when you saw how Tessa was taking it! Now I know Tess is the one person that will always have your undivided loyalty and love and we agree on the fact that torturing people isn't you! You're a _decent_ man – Tessa wouldn't be with you if she didn't think you weren't. And I see how you interact with Ethan – the love and adoration you show him as your son, and that's when I know, with every fiber of my being, that you are a good, _decent_ man!" He jerked his thumb back towards camp. "And so is Rick. Shane . . . now Shane is different."

"Why's that?" Daryl asked, nodding towards him. "Is it 'cause he killed Otis?"

Dale adopted a look of keen interest on his face as he moved closer to Daryl. "Did he tell you that?" Daryl shook his head.

"He told some story – how Otis covered him and saved his worthless ass, but I saw through that – prolly one of the only ones who did. Fuck, he showed up with a dead man's gun – a dead man's gun that the dead man in question _supposedly _used to cover his ass!" He shook his head again. "Rick ain' stupid, Dale. If he didn' figure that out, it's 'cause he didn' wanna. It's like I said – this group's broken. I'm jus' hopin' me and my own ain' gonna get caught in the crossfire. What I did to that kid – I had to go to a dark place - a _very _dark place. I don' wanna go there again but I have a feelin' that I'll have to if Tess and Ethan find themselves caught in the crossfire," His eyes flashed in the light. "Hell, I'd do it in an instant if that was the case."

* * *

"Are you feeling any better at all?"

Daryl's bright blue eyes silently found hers through the slight gloom of their tent, and she pursed her lips in slight irritation as she went back to observing his busted knuckles. They still didn't look pretty but they were clean, nonetheless and starting to scab over. She found herself thanking God that he wouldn't need stitches for them. He had, had enough of stitches for a long, long time.

The fire that everyone had grouped around for that evening's meal (the first one they had, had at the camp for a long time) still flickered outside their tent, not yet dying embers, and he watched for a moment as the moving shadows flew across her face and body. He remained silent and chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment as her eyes flickered up to his. He had remained silent all day and had spent practically all day in the woods hunting. Ethan had spent all day doing odd jobs around the camp and the house that needed doing but really, it was anything that would have kept himself away from the clearly still on edge Daryl.

Tessa had her old Daryl back but yet . . . she also didn't. There was still a part of him that the bad wolf controlled – she could see in his eyes whenever he would gaze at someone – his mannerisms and the way his body would react when that someone in question would approach him to speak to him. He was constantly on edge and quite clearly was entertaining that vicious side that had long since remained dormant since her return.

"Daryl, baby, you have to talk to me!" She told him, shaking her head. "I don't know what to do to help you if you _don't talk_ to me!" Her hands moved to fame his face, where she forced their eyes to connect. Once again, she saw a flicker of warmth in those beautiful blue depths and her heart ached ever-so-slightly. "This suffering in silence crap might have been your best bet with your old man but now, it's not even an option! Here I am, kneeling in front of you and willing to listen – so _talk_ to me!"

"Have ya given any thought to Dale's plea?" He finally asked her, his voice small and quiet, although still slightly interested, and she recoiled slightly.

"_This_ is what has been bothering you all day?" Daryl shook his head.

"Not even close, but ya said to talk to ya, so that's what I'm doing. So, really, have ya given it any thought?"

Tessa gazed at him for a moment, noticing how the slightly snide words struck a particularly taut chord inside her. Then, before she could stop herself, she found her teeth gritting in anger. Her hand reached backwards before meeting his face in a hard slap. The slap seemed to crack through the still air like a damn gunshot and his head found itself thrown backwards from the force of it. He felt his lip split open and blood flooded his mouth and for a moment – a split fucking moment – he was proud that Tessa could slap that hard . . . that she had the balls to slap _him_!

He spit the blood from his mouth onto the ground and turned another expressionless, slightly cold gaze onto her. "I get it . . ." He nodded then, a grin and a laugh coming to his face as he wiped away the blood beading on his split lip with the cuff of his shirt. Even then, his grin and his laugh were cold – his eyes too. "I get it, ya pissed. But is that all ya got?" His eyes flashed again in the thin gloom. "You're a Dixon now, Tess – ya got more in ya, I know it!"

Tessa knew she shouldn't have allowed his words to goad her like that – that she should have found the strength to restrain herself - but she found that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help herself. All the anger and frustration that she had felt those past couple of months, she channeled into various punches and slaps that found themselves landing on his torso and his arms. When he suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrists with entirely too much ease to allow her heart to settle down from its frantic beating, he pulled her to him and their lips met in a brutal, bruising kiss. Teeth gnashed and sunk down into each other's lips to the point that Tessa felt her lip split open as well. Blood flooded their mouths in a sick, macabre aphrodisiac and their tongues met and fought for an angry, brutal dominance. His hands moved underneath her thighs and pulled her upwards onto his lap, her legs immediately wrapping around him as her fingers buried in his hair and pulled him closer to her. His arms wound around her body to hold her to him as tightly as she was holding him to her.

They were so close that for a moment, it seemed that their hearts beat in sync and when they broke apart, it wasn't loving need that echoed in their eyes - it was brutal, feral want. And when she murmured those three little words to him that he never thought he'd hear from her, it was like something snapped inside him. Their lips met again in another bruising kiss as their hands tore at each other's clothes - Daryl's absolutely busting the button and zipper of her jeans before hers moved to his.

_Daryl, fuck me . . ._

The words echoed in their mind like a broken record as he turned them around, flipping her onto her stomach as he did so. Her front met the smooth softness of their bed underneath her and for a moment, her heart jumped up into her throat in fear. This is how it had gone in the barn . . . in the barn with Merle. He had bent her over the haybales and she had lain there, completely helpless as he had, had his fun. This was the first time she had felt herself be thrown on her stomach since that afternoon - the first time that she had _allowed _herself to be thrown onto her stomach by a man since the attack, and even though this was Daryl and she _knew _it was Daryl, it was still . . . completely and irrevocably _raw_.

Daryl must have seen her sudden tenseness, for he leaned over her and planted a kiss on the back of her shoulder – the first soft and loving kiss that they had shared since that morning. "It's me, Tess . . . it's me . . ." He murmured and she nodded and murmured back that she knew as her hand reached behind her so that her fingers could glide into his hair. She held him close with that grip anchoring him as his lips moved to the nape of her neck. Her heart pounded in his chest when she felt his hand reach down in-between them. He started by gently rubbing and encircling her nub then and she could immediately feel herself getting wet, a fact that almost made her thank the Heavens for. His fingers were inside her then too - stretching her, teasing her. She tried very hard not to squirm but he was taking his sweet time tormenting her. She felt her anger at that fact return and her teeth gritted with the same emotion.

"Goddammit Daryl, get on with it!" She snapped before subsequently feeling the blunt head of his cock pressing against her entrance. He slowly pushed himself inside, only to immediately pull out again. He was rubbing against her - why wasn't he taking her?

Then, in one sharp but smooth thrust, Tessa found her body pushed down even more against the soft bed she was currently being pressed against, a moan tearing loose from her lips as he did so. One of his hands moved to plant in the sheets beside her head while the other grasped her hip in a firm but gentle hold and she arched her back underneath him, taking him in deeper.

He started out by moving slowly and while it certainly wasn't the fuck she had asked him for, it did give her the time she needed to adjust to him - more mentally than anything. His cock was going in slow and deep and when he brushed against something deep inside of her, she let out another small moan. She felt his hand squeeze her hips firmly in warning though, and it took her a moment to realize that he had stopped moving - an even longer moment to realize that he didn't want her to make a sound, lest one that the others could hear. She bit down on her lower lip, hoping that he would continue.

His hand returned to her hip as he resumed his fluid thrusting into her. He was going in deeper than before now - driving into her. She wanted to scream out 'faster!' but knew that she shouldn't. All she could do was bite down on her bottom lip, knowing that eventually, she would draw blood again. It also took a moment for her to numbly realize that Daryl wasn't saying much of anything at all either, although his breathing was starting to come out harsher and more irregular through his nose against her shoulder. She smirked and instinctively clenched her inner muscles together, drawing out a loud groan from him in response that betrayed just how much he was truly enjoying this. It was followed by a hard squeeze on her thighs as his hands moved down to grasp them. He spread her legs even more and this time, she had to consciously stop the moan that came so close to ripping forth from her throat.

Daryl was thrusting faster now. He was consistently hitting the spot inside her that made bolts of violent warmth shoot throughout her body and her hands found themselves balled into tight fists against the sheets underneath her. She bit down on her bottom lip with all she had, trying not to scream, and that time, she did manage to bring blood again.

He was making her feel so damn good . . . it was the best feeling in the world since earlier that afternoon when Daryl walked out of that shed a changed man. She was relieved to find that at least _something_ hadn't changed. It was also made even better when – finally - she heard him making his satisfaction known.

"Ya feel so good Tess - so warm and fuckin' tight around me! Tell me how much ya want this, babydoll . . . tell me how much ya love me bein' inside ya!"

She tried to get the words he wanted to hear out of her mouth, but only guttural whines and whimpers would emerge instead. "Oh God, more Daryl - please! . . . You feel so good!" Another hard, slightly uneven thrust hit her sweet spot in reward and she continued blithely on. "Fuck me harder - please!" She was started to babble at that moment – to the point where she couldn't form any coherent sentences. "Want to . . . see you . . . please . . . _fuck_, Daryl!"

Daryl, chuckling, stopped at her words and abruptly pulled out. A muscular arm wrapped around her waist and turned them back onto the blanketed air-mattress underneath them. This time, however, he landed on his back and brought her back down onto him seconds later, her heart free-falling into her stomach as he did so. Hands grasping tightly on to her waist, he rocked her roughly against him, the friction building deliciously between them as he rose up to kiss her, his arms wrapping around her, holding her close.

His lips found the pulse point of her neck and he started sucking on it, causing Tessa to instantly forget everything. Her head fell back and her legs wrapped around his waist as her arms wrapped around his neck. Her hips eagerly matched his speed.

"Tell me ya want this, Tess! Say it and I'll let ya come . . .!" He spoke through his harsh breathing. He was also biting down hard on the nape of her neck, a sharp, biting pain that only heightened her pleasure.

"Fuck, Daryl! I want this – I want you! Oh Goddammit, do I want you!" She obediently moaned out. She wasn't listening to anything he said, all she wanted - all she needed, was her release.

Then, he was pushing himself deeper into her and his fingers were between them rubbing her nub again – rougher this time. She suffocated her moans with a kiss to his lips as her orgasm ripped throughout her entire body with the force of a hurricane, and as she came hard on his cock, Daryl's guttural groans joined hers as he reached his peak too.

Minutes passed with them trying desperately to catch their breaths before, slowly, she lowered herself back down onto the mattress behind her, Daryl's hands on her waist helping her. Slowly, she also registered that her body was starting to feel sore, wet, and vaguely sticky, but strangely, she felt . . . content. She could feel his eyes run over her naked, heaving body as she fought to catch her breath, his hands smoothing almost reverently over her body, following the path of his eyes. She found that she could barely move a muscle as he slowly pulled out of her and flipped her gently back over onto her stomach, his hands immediately moving up to grasp her shoulders. She grinned, knowing that she now had her Daryl back . . . hopefully, anyway. She didn't exactly see the bad wolf being this affectionate afterwards.

"Mmm, are you giving me a massage after such a fabulous orgasm? Of course, I'm not complaining – my back _has_ been aching lately . . .!" Daryl chuckled behind her.

"Yeah, in case ya have forgotten, Tess, that amazin' orgasm wasn' exactly one-sided!" He grinned and placed his lips to her ear. "'Cause, ya kinda needed me to achieve it, 'member?" She grinned and shot him a playfully imperious look over her shoulder, a look he couldn't help but grin at.

"Bullshit! I could have gotten off without you!" He gave her an amused look.

"Oh really . . .? So, what exactly happened with the punches and those three little, not-so-innocent words ya told me earlier?" She laughed as she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the blissful feeling his callused hands expertly massaging her shoulders, gave her. She had, had back pain all-throughout her pregnancy with Ethan and while she was relieved that this pregnancy was different in that regard (although she completely expected the aches and pains to increase the further along she got) her back was a little sore nonetheless. It felt great having his hands on her in such a way - massaging away the pains instead of allowing them to fester.

"Yeah, that was just to make things more fun . . ."

Daryl let out a scoff of a laugh as his hands left her and he fell onto his back to the bed beside her. She turned her head to face him, trying not to allow her disappointment of his hands leaving her back to show. "Are you okay now?" She asked him and he stayed silent for a moment before shrugging, a slightly pensive expression flitting across his face then.

"I don' think I'm ever gonna be fine, Tess, jus' like ya ain' never gonna be completely fine. But again, like ya said, I jus' . . ." He shrugged again and turned to face her, a smiled tugging at the corners of his lips. "I can jus' manage to forget 'bout it for a while."


	28. Chapter 28

**Guest - I've always really like Dale - I always thought he was something of the Socratic conscious of the group and with the exception of Tessa and his conversation, the one with Daryl I took from the show. I just interjected my own lines in there here and there to make it more relevant to my plot-line. I agree, the timing could have been better but really, does anyone have good timing in the show? LOL**

**Maddy120296 - I _told _you guys that the sex scenes would get raunchier as the story progressed! And yeah, the bit with the blood I had to include because, Hell, Daryl was in his "Bad Wolf" mode, he _had _to have something in there bloody! ;)  
**

**HermionaandMarcus - Thanks for the review, hope this one doesn't disappoint :)**

**This chapter was really boring for me to write and I hope to Hell that its not boring to read for you guys. The ending I'm not really content with - it just doesn't settle me, but then again, after just writing a love scene, does any next chapter after that compare? ;)**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - sorry for the short chapter; hopefully they'll get longer soon.**

* * *

"Okay, let's just see how everyone stands and then we can just talk through the options, okay?" Rick began the meeting once everyone had managed to squeeze themselves into the living room of the farmhouse. The atmosphere of the room was clearly tense, with everyone but Daryl and Shane completely relaxed. Even Tessa, who was standing beside Daryl with her arms crossed in front of her chest, found herself slightly on edge.

"The way I see it, there's only one way to move forward from here." Shane began but didn't say anything more as Dale turned his eyes onto him.

"You mean killing him, right?" Dale immediately replied as his eyes flew around the room, holding a few people's gazes here and there. He shrugged. "I mean, why even bother to take a vote? It's clear which way the wind is blowing."

"Well now, see here, if people believe that we should spare him, then I want to know!" Rick told him, his voice coming out drawn and slightly exasperated. He felt the bare bones of a migraine thumping against his head and knew that the end of this meeting could not come fast enough, nor that it would come as smoothly as he hoped.

"Well I can tell ya that it's a small group – maybe just me and Glenn." He spoke, his eyes avoiding Tessa and Daryl's but then immediately settled on Glenn sitting beside him on the piano bench, avoiding his eyes in turn. Then, slowly, he turned them uneasily onto him and a look of stark disbelief settled on the older man's face.

"Look, I think your pretty much right about everything all the time," Glenn started out, quickly moving to try and appease him. "But this -!"

"They've got you scared!" Dale interrupted him passionately but Glenn shook his head.

"He's not one of us!" He fired back and it was then that Tessa's lips pursed in irritation.

"That is a bullshit argument, Glenn!" She spat and Glenn turned a shocked gaze onto Tessa. She had never used that tone of voice with him before and now that she had, everyone seemed to be turning a slightly shocked or surprised gaze onto her.

"But Tessa, we've – we've lost too many people already!" Glenn hurried to defend himself and she shook her head as her eyes flitted to everybody else's in turn. Her body tensed slightly at what she was about to do but then eventually heaved a sigh and shook her head. She had been thinking about it all day and the previous evening once Daryl had fallen asleep. Granted, he probably wouldn't agree with her decision but she, however, would stay firm in it.

"I thought about it all day and last night and I have to say that I agree with Dale," She started out and dammit all to Hell if Dale hadn't been right earlier. Everyone's attentions – complete and undivided attentions, too – snapped onto her and she blinked in surprise a couple of times before shaking herself back into awareness. Even Shane was giving her his attention. "I just . . . I cannot condone this!" She continued and Daryl, sensing the amount of drama and tension that had been steadily building in the room since the meeting started and which dramatically increased since she stepped up with her piece, curved a hand gently around her hip and attempted to bring her closer to him. She shook her head and shrugged out of his embrace, however. "And I call that a bullshit argument, Glenn, because when Daryl found me and our son, Ethan was holding a rifle and I a bow. We were armed – it was clear that we had killed before," She shook her head, disbelief starting to echo in her eyes. "What makes us so different from that boy in the shed - the fact that _we_ didn't shoot at you but he did? The fact that _we_ knew Daryl and he could testify for our good name, although at the time, he wasn't exactly inclined to?" She swallowed hard as her eyes connected with Dale's grateful ones. "And of course, I cannot change anyone's minds. I cannot change yours," She looked at Rick. "Yours," Glenn's this time. "And especially not yours," She glanced behind her at Daryl. "But I just want everyone to know that whatever you decide, that I will have absolutely no part in it and neither will Ethan. This is a level of brutality that I cannot, for the life of me, even begin to understand, nor condone as a woman who already has a child and is expecting another one!" Her eyes connected with Lori's then and the woman pursed her lips and quickly averted her eyes to the floor as Tessa stepped back. Finally, she allowed herself to be drawn into Daryl's embrace, his arms wrapping snugly around her waist as he pulled her protectively against him.

"_Thank you_, Tessa, for once again being a voice of reason when this group so desperately needs it!" Dale spoke quietly – gratefully - and Tessa smiled a small smile and nodded. Her hands moved to entwine with Daryl's and she pulled his arms tighter around her, a motion that he immediately obliged. Now that she was done speaking, she was just now starting to register how hard her heart had been pounding in her chest. It was almost painful!

Their fingers entwined on her stomach, seemingly cradling the child contained within and even though she was pretty sure he would be siding with killing the kid, Tessa still wanted Daryl to hold her – to protect her and their child from all this philosophical bullshit. It was a foolish, childish desire, but one that she couldn't help but want nonetheless.

She saw Lori sneaking glances at them out of her corner of her eye – at the protective embrace Daryl had Tessa wrapped in and an embrace that he would _continue_ to have her wrapped in for the remainder of the meeting. Both of them were pregnant – both were the same amount of weeks along and both were the same age. The only difference was that at least Tessa had a man that was there for her – that had _been_ there for her since the second she told him, if only he took him a moment to realize it. He had wanted their baby from day one and he would fight through every legion of Hell to make sure she was safe and had everything she needed.

The look of slight jealously in her eyes was clearly apparent.

Dale's eyes lingered on Tessa's for a moment longer before turning onto Maggie and Hershel sitting and standing on the other side of the room. "How about you two – what do you guys think? Do you two agree with this?" Maggie gave him a weak look before turning that same weak look onto Rick.

"Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?" She asked, and Tessa felt Daryl shake his head behind her.

"He'll be jus' another mouth to feed." He spoke for him, his voice coming out soft and diplomatic for once and Tessa felt herself swallow hard.

"It may be a lean winter," Hershel brought up, slightly reluctantly.

"We could ration better?" Lori added before Dale threw up his hands.

"He could be an asset! Give him a chance to prove himself!"

"We could put him to work?" Glenn suggested and Rick shook his head, successfully blitzkrieg-ing that idea.

"We're not letting him walk around, I can tell ya guys that right now!"

"We could put an escort on him," Maggie suggested in turn and Shane let out a snort of a laugh.

"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" He asked and immediately rolled his eyes when Dale announced that he would gladly do it.

"Look, I don't any of us should be walking around with this guy!" Rick spoke up, his voice clearly tense with anger. His migraine was certainly starting to come in a quicker stride then as he pinned a hard look on Dale. Lori nodded in agreement as she moved to cross her arms in front of her chest.

"Rick's right, I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up." Tessa reluctantly nodded in agreement with the idea and barely missed the look of slight disbelief that Dale shot her.

"I agree. I mean, I've pretty much made it apparent that I am an advocate for not killing this kid, but . . . I gotta agree with Lori, though! I have a child on the way – she does too! It's going to be a child that's going to be born defenseless from day one – I don't want anything around that could double or _triple _those dangers!" She shook her head and gave another shrug. "I'm sorry, but whatever we decide, just allowing this kid to walk free _cannot_ be an option!" Lori found herself nodding in agreement with her words in turn as Andrea gave a weak shrug.

"Well we can't exactly put chains on his ankles and sentence him to hard labor, now can we?" She laughed then, making it first time she had spoken in the meeting for a while.

"Look, say we let this kid join us, right?" Shane spoke up. "Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice – maybe he doesn't put anyone in danger," He nodded to Tessa and Lori then before continuing on. "We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back all thirty of his men. What happens then?"

"So the answer is to kill him – to prevent a crime that he may _never even attempt_?" Dale retorted emphatically before turning to gaze at everybody else in turn again. "If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead – there is no civilization!" Shane rolled his eyes again as Andrea turned an expressionless gaze onto him.

"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel asked and Lori shook her head and let out a scoffing laugh. "Leave him like you planned?"

"You barely came back this time." Lori reminded him as she continued to shake her head. "There are walkers – you could break down . . . you could get lost -!"

"Or get ambushed . . ." Daryl interrupted her, his voice still quiet and diplomatic and Rick glanced behind him at Daryl and Tessa before turning back to the rest of the group. Tessa's hands tightened on his and he squeezed her ever-so-slightly in return. Glenn nodded.

"He's right – we should not put our own people at risk."

"If you . . . go through with it," Patricia spoke up from her place standing between T-Dog and Maggie. "How would you do it? Would he suffer?" Rick didn't answer her yet but turned his eyes up to Shane's instead, who shrugged.

"We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck?" Rick nodded.

"I-I thought about that, actually . . ." He spoke but shrugged as he turned to glanced back at Daryl and immediately, Tessa tensed in his arms, a tensing that Daryl alleviated slightly by bringing her closer to him. "Shooting may, uh . . . shooting may be more humane, though."

"What about the body?" T-Dog asked. "Do we bury him?"

"Hold on, hold on!" Dale suddenly interrupted them, his hands moving into the air. "You're talking about this like it's already decided!" Daryl heaved a sigh, his voice finally taking a slightly impatient tone.

"You've been talkin' 'bout it all day and all yesterday – jus' goin' around in circles!" He spoke up as Tessa moved her eyes down to the hardwood floor underneath their feet – anything to avoid Dale's eyes as Daryl continued to speak. "Ya jus' wanna go around in circles again?"

"This is a young man's life!" Dale spoke up, his voice taking on another passionate tone. He turned a pleading eye onto Tessa and Daryl again. "He's close to your son in age -!"

"Ya can say that all ya want to, Dale, but he _ain'_ Ethan!" Daryl snapped back at him as he interrupted him mid-sentence. He shook his head. "Comparin' him to my boy ain' gonna get us anywhere but drawin' useless comparisons – comparisons that will end up bein' useless bullshit – no offense – for the simple reason that he _ain' my son_!"

"Daryl, honey, please . . ." Tessa's quiet, warning voice brought his anger back down and he glanced down at her before nodding and returning back to his same brooding self.

"Well I'm sorry if I think that a young man's life is worth more than a five minute conversation!" Dale replied, his voice gathering an angry tone, however, his ire was no longer focused on one direct anymore. "Is this what it's come to - seriously? We kill someone now because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him and now look at us!" He continued, directing his last words towards Rick. "He's been tortured – he's going to be executed! How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?"

"We know what needs to be done -!"

"No, Dale and Tessa are right," Rick interrupted him, his voice taking on a much quieter and diplomatic tone than the anger it had moments earlier. "We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility -!"

"So what's the solution?" Andrea interrupted him in turn and Lori shook her head.

"Let Rick finish, Andrea -!"

Andrea shook her head, interrupting her. "I'm sorry, Lori, but I'm not! We haven't come up with a single viable option yet and like Tessa said, we _cannot _allow him to just walk free because of safety issues! I wish we could, but we couldn't!"

"So let's _work_ on it!" Dale replied, his voice still that same passionate tone it had been earlier, however, another voice that cut through the air stopped anyone from talking any further.

"Stop it!" Carol suddenly spoke up, her voice shaking and slightly frail – weary. "Just . . . just _stop it_! I'm sick of everyone arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this – none of us asked for this and you cannot expect us to make this kind of a decision! Please, decide – one of you, both of you, I don't care – but leave me out."

"Not speaking out and killing himself yourself – makes no difference!" Dale replied before gesturing towards Tessa and Daryl. "At least Tessa told her piece first before backing out!"

"All right, that's enough!" Rick spoke out before things could get any more heated. "Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance."

An awkward silence pervaded the room then, with a lot of people simply casting their eyes down to the floor. Daryl's arms around her suddenly felt stifling hot but she didn't have the courage to push them away from her. She didn't _want _to push them away from her. A lead weight had settled in her stomach – a lead weight that told her that something bad was about to happen.

Or a couple of bad things for that matter.

"You once said that we don't kill the living!" Dale brought up to Rick, clearly grasping at straws now, and Rick shook his head.

"That was before the living started to kill us!"

"But don't you see?" He replied, his eyes wide and pleading with reason. "If we do this, the people that we were – the world that we knew is _dead_! And this new world is ugly and its-its _harsh_! It's a Darwinian survival of the fittest! That's a world I don't wanna live in and I don't think either of you do either!" He turned his eyes onto Daryl again. "You told me not to compare the kid to Ethan but do you honestly want Tessa to give birth and then the two of you try to raise your child in a world where there is no law and order? Do you want to raise it in a group that has thrown all its morals out the window?"

Silence filled the room then, with Daryl or Tessa not answering him. Tears were starting to appear in Dale's eyes then.

"He's right - I agree. We can't do this. We should try and find another way." Andrea said, bringing Tessa out of her thoughts and back into the present situation, and Dale shot her a thankful gaze too but after her, no one else stepped forward. They all shamefully averted their eyes to the floor again and when Dale's eyes filled with tears, not even Tessa and Andrea had the strength to look at him, and they had sided with him!

"Well, I'm sorry, but what Tessa said, also applies to me. I will have absolutely no part in this! But are you all gonna watch too?" He remarked before shaking his head. "No, you all will hide your heads in your tents and pretend that we're not slaughtering a human being!" His tone was hard and icy as he chose that time to leave the group. He paused by Daryl and Tessa, though, and clapped a gentle hand on his arm.

"Your right – this group _is_ broken!"

* * *

"I swear to God - don't do this, Daryl - please don't be a part of this!" Tessa found herself begging him just one short hour later as he held her close, her hands moving to fist into the tough leather of his vest. ;He shook his head as he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. Rick had told him and Shane to meet him later at the shed, where they would take the kid into the barn and follow through what the group had determined what was right. He had to admit, it made something heavy sit in his stomach and when he took one look at the pleading in Tessa's eyes, he almost lost his nerve.

"Tess, I've got to -!"

"No, the fuck you don't!" She interrupted him, tears filling her eyes. "You don't have to do a Goddamn thing! You could be like the others who agreed – the silent majority!" She shook her head. "What example is this supposed to set for Ethan, huh? You walk out of the shed earlier with your hands covered in the boy's blood and completely fucking changed and _he had to see that_! How is he going to take seeing you come out of that shed with Shane and Rick and your _body _covered in his blood and not just your hands?" She shook her head as her fingers touched his cheek again. "The first time with the kid, you said you had to for the good of the group and I almost didn't get you back. Will I get you back this time too?" Daryl rolled his eyes as he pushed her gently off of him before turning around and heading towards the shed.

"Good Lord, Tess, it's not like I'm gonna be killin' the kid myself! Rick's gonna be the one holdin' the trigger, I jus' gotta be there in case he . . . in case the kid tries to run, ya know?" Tessa shook her head in disbelief as she chased after him, her hand grasping his shoulder seconds later and forcing him to turn around and face her again.

"Look, I know I didn't exactly stand up and defend him nearly as much as Dale did earlier, but _dammit_, Daryl, why can't you see that just standing there and watching is the same as Rick killing him! You're all going to be guilty!" She shook her head. "Can you honestly blame me for being worried about you - especially after yesterday?"

Daryl chuckled then and leaned down, where he tilted her head back gently and pressed a loving kiss to her lips. There was no more of the brutality of the kisses that came the previous night, but a softness and a gentleness instead that she had long grown used to and expected. When he broke apart a moment later, Tessa had no choice but to stand there and gaze after him – watching him – as he slowly pulled away from her then, towards the shed where Rick and Shane were waiting for him. She swallowed hard as he shook his head.

"Ya'll get me back Tess, I promise. I do anythin' to get back to ya, remember?"


	29. Chapter 29

**Yeah, so sorry for not updating in forever, it seems like, but a combination of family problems and me being sick, kinda took all the kick I had out of writing. So finally, without much ado, here's the long awaited next chapter :)**

**This chapter, as well as holding a character death in it, also deals somewhat with Daryl and his father. I've always thought that was a topic and a situation that could be fun to write (especially Daryl and his mother) and who knows, I might do it in the future but for now, I've kinda set up the scaffolding just in case I do wanna it in the future. If you guys know me, then you know that its entirely possible :)**

**HaloHunter89: Thanks for the review - glad you love it! I've been getting shouts for more Ethan and Daryl bonding time all over the place and I'm pretty sure another father/son chapter is coming up soon, I just don't know exactly when yet. As for the rest of the questions - keep reading ;)**

**HermioneandMarcus: Keep liking the chapters and thanks for reviewing :)**

**scoobydoo0811: Thanks for liking the chapter so well and if you know the old saying, "An artist always doubts his work", you'll know that, that fits me to a 'T'. Normally I'm not so bad and the last chapter wasn't nearly so bad, but yeah, I have those insecurities from time to time lol.**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

The whole world had been silent when the three men silently led the pleading teenager towards the barn. The scruff of his shirt was caught in Daryl's steel-like grip and when they pushed open the doors to the barn seconds later, his grip tightened as the kid started struggling even more.

"Put him over there." Rick ordered, his voice brooking no argument, and Daryl nodded as he led him to the center of the barn aisle. Shane stepped behind him and took over the hold of him as Daryl willingly backed away a little. Normally, he wouldn't have given two shits that he had to accompany Rick and Shane to witness an execution – after all, his kill count since this damn apocalypse began was starting to go through the roof, however, he couldn't help but start to feel a little sick to his stomach. He didn't know if it was because of what Tessa had told him before he moved to join the two men by the shed or what, but either way, he felt the vague urge to vomit.

"It's all gonna be over soon." Shane promised the kid and he turned a frightened gaze onto the black headscarf that Shane was currently unfolding before him. Daryl's teeth gritted slightly. The least the fuckhead could do was have a little tact and unfold he kid's blindfold where he couldn't quite see it so easily. He shook his head, nonetheless though, as the kid started crying and pleading with them again, especially when Shane started tying the blindfold around his head. Shane had never been fond of subtlety and he supposed this time especially was when it didn't interest him.

Rick moved to stand in front of him and took out his gun, where he quietly checked the chamber for bullets. Satisfied, he flipped the chamber back with a well-oiled 'click' and pinned a coldly expressionless gaze onto the kid. Daryl had to admit . . . the man appeared to be as cold as ice.

Shane backed away when the kid was blindfolded and left him standing there, fighting to stay on his feet as Shane and Daryl moved somewhat closer to him, their bodies primed for action should the kid make the extremely stupid decision to run.

"Would you like to stand or kneel?" Rick asked him and the kid could only sob and blubber out useless sentences in response. Rick pursed his lips and glanced at Daryl. Without hesitation, he kicked the kid's legs out from underneath them and he kid fell, sobbing to the floor of the barn. Grasping him roughly underneath the armpit, Daryl yanked him none-too-kindly to his knees before the leader of the group. His grip became a little bit gentler when he realized how rough he was being with the kid, and calmed down slightly. He wanted to get back to Tessa the same as when he walked in, not the person he walked out of the shed as the first time.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and when Rick's slightly uncertain eyes connected with his after connecting with Shane's, his jaw hardened slightly and he gave him a terse but subtle nod. Like he had told Tessa, he wasn't the one that was going to be killing the kid – Rick had that labor. Rick would have to be the one to live with himself – not Daryl.

Although Daryl had a few times.

_"First time ya kill a man, son, ya come to a crossroads in ya life – ya learn somethin' 'bout yaself. Ya don' learn what ya capable of, or how bad of a person ya are, or any of that fuckin' bullshit. Ya learn if ya can sleep at night or if ya can'. Ya either haunted by it, or ya not." _

_A six-year-old Daryl turned a solemn blue gaze up to his father walking tall and indomitable beside him as they moved silently through the woods tracking game - like he and Ethan would do decades later - and waited for him to continue. When Will Dixon did, it was after heaving a sigh. "I was sixteen when I killed ma first man – one of ya momma's brothers. He had slapped her for somethin' that no longer even matters when she was pregnant with ya brother and 'fore I knew it, I done stabbed a knife into his heart," He glanced down at him, his eyes red-rimmed with alcohol, yet firm as well, if not slightly crazy. "Ya hear me now, boy, and ya understand me - so don' go 'round bein' ya normal dumbass self! Don' ya _ever _lay a hand on a woman, Daryl! We's men – we can handle it. But women . . . no . . ." He shook his head. "Women are an absolute no-go."_

_"What did ya learn deddy?" He asked after a moment and Will Dixon turned a scowl down onto him._

_"What'cha blabbin' 'bout?" _

_Daryl gave a shrug of his tiny shoulders. "Ya know . . . when ya killed that man - momma's brother__. What did ya learn?" Will Dixon nodded in understanding and eventually gave a flippant shrug._

_"I learned that I could sleep like a baby every night afterwards."_

Daryl stayed silent as his father's words echoed throughout his mind. Will Dixon was indeed one of the few men in the world that could kill a man – no matter how brutally – and then sleep as soundly as a damn baby every night afterwards – Daryl had grown up seeing it. He might have been a little fond of the bottle like his mother was but he had no idea if that was purely because he liked to drink or because it was the only thing that made him completely numb to those pesky feelings of his. If Daryl thought Merle was tough, though, then Will Dixon was made of even tougher stuff. Man could eat a crowbar for breakfast and then shit out nails that night before he went to bed. Daryl hated to say it, but Rick was not made of the same stuff that his father was - no one was.

And of course, Will Dixon had been known as quite the lady's man, despite his drinking problem and physical abuse he showed towards his boys. He was still a good looking man – tall and whipcord lean with a thick head of dark brown hair like Daryl as well as looking ever-so-slightly like a classic Hollywood actor's. He had always said that Merle had gotten his looks from their momma whereas Daryl looked more like him (a fact that never once made him back down from his assertion that Marla Dixon had been unfaithful once – especially when he was feeling his whiskey) and he had been quite taken with Tessa the day that Daryl brought her home and called her his girlfriend. It was a fact that Merle never once recovered his jealously from – the fact that in his own twisted way, Daryl was Will Dixon's favorite, not just because he knew with one hundred percent certainty that he was his, but because he had managed to do what Merle couldn't and brought home a respectable girl.

In fact, if Will Dixon was even alive to know what Merle had done to Tessa in the barn, he probably would have ripped his good-for-nothing oldest son's throat out before Daryl even figured out. Their father might have been as mean as a damn hornet and as quick-to-strike with a beer bottle as a cobra was with his venom, but under no circumstances were you to ever touch a woman in a way that was not respectable. At least he had that one redeeming quality.

Yeah, Rick was nowhere in Will Dixon's league.

"Do you have any final words?"

Rick's no-bullshit voice brought Daryl out of thoughts of his father that he was having, and back into the present. The kid started sobbing and begging in greater abundance and it would have taken a fool to not notice the hesitation in Rick's eyes at the kid's sobs and whimpers. Daryl let out an amused huff. Wasn't so easy when you envisioned your kid in the kid's place, eh? Not too easy when you envisioned it being Carl you had to put a bullet through.

He pulled up the gun to plant it squarely at the kid's head and they heard a 'click'. No one noticed, however, the thirteen-year-old boy that slowly moved to stand in the opened entrance of the barn, a slightly awed look on his face until he spoke. "Do it, dad. Do it." Rick, his eyes widening in an emotion that Daryl couldn't rightly place, glanced at Shane who shook his head in angry exasperation and moved towards Carl, where he quickly and none-too-kindly dragged him from the barn.

"Are you kidding me? What did I say to you – _what did I_ _say to you_!"

Rick tried to bring himself to pull the trigger after Carl was gone but then gave up in frustration and shook his head. "Take him away, Daryl . . ." He murmured and Daryl gave him a slight look of disbelief before grasping the kid by the shoulders and hauling him to his feet like he had done in the shed.

"Get up!" The kid whimpered through his gasps of relief and Daryl shoved him towards the entrance of the barn, Shane quickly moving aside Carl as he did so.

He was sure the searching gaze that Rick pinned on Carl and the completely expressionless one Carl returned to him, was akin to the look of relief Tessa shot him and the expressionless one he gave her back as he continued on to the shed.

* * *

Like Tessa had thought previously, the night only snowballed downhill from the meeting.

"Help - we're over here! Someone hurry up!"

"Daryl, what's going on – _oh my God_!"

Tessa came to an abrupt stop mere feet away from him, her eyes immediately widening in horror at the sight of Dale lying in the field beside him, his guts practically ripped out through his stomach and a dead walker lying feet away from them. The older man was gasping painfully for breath and when the rest finally met up with them, Maggie immediately took Tessa in her arms as tears starting streaming down her cheeks and sobs started erupting forth from her lips. Ethan skidded to a stop beside his mother and his eyes grew wide with horror too as Andrea and Glenn managed to make themselves go all the while over to him, where they dropped to their knees on either side of him. The rest of the people grouped around them, Daryl's eyes seeking hers through the crowd of people.

"Oh my God . . . Holy shit - _Dale_!" Tessa sobbed out, tears running down her cheeks as Maggie kept a strong grip on her struggling, sobbing friend. "Oh God, Dale – _no_!" She collapsed to her knees on the ground then, her body heaving with sobs and it was Tessa and Andrea's sobs, not Glenn or Carl's, that got to the group the most. Tessa was well liked within the group but she had been the closest to Dale other than Andrea and Glenn. He had been a surrogate father figure to all three of them and his pain and suffering and his impending death was hitting them all particularly hard.

They looked up when they heard the 'click' of a gun and saw Rick standing over him, his hand shaking as he fought to keep the gun barrel level with Dale's head. Tears came in greater abundance at the sight, including the one falling from Rick's own eyes and slowly, so slowly that it took them a minute to realize that he had done it, Daryl's hand appeared on the barrel of Rick's pistol, where he gently pushed him out of the way, his gun taking the place of Rick's. They shared a look, one that Rick nodded at before moving to take care of his family.

"Sorry, brother . . ."

Slowly, when the gunshot could be heard echoing around them like a damn explosion, was when Tessa finally collapsed onto her side, like a great, crumbling colossi hitting the ground. Her hand caught her before she could hit the ground, though, but Maggie could tell her complete fall wasn't that far off. The younger woman turned a gaze up onto Daryl then, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Daryl – she needs you!" She called out, and Daryl nodded as he slowly turned away from the now dead Dale, where he headed over to Tessa, holstering his pistol as he did so. Gently pulling her up onto her knees, he took her in his arms, where he allowed her to sob her eyes out into the crook of his neck as her arms moved to wrap around his neck.

"Daryl, please, get her out of here!" Lori murmured to him, her voice full of concern as she gazed at the torn Tessa and as she held on to her equally as torn son. Daryl nodded as he picked her up in his arms and headed back to their tent, Ethan following close on his father's heels. Tessa sobbed the entire way and when they finally reached their tent, he ducked inside and placed her down on the blanketed air mattress. Ethan waited anxiously outside as Daryl took a kneeling stance in front of her. She continued to sob as she slowly fell onto her side on the bed, her face covered by her hands and as her body curled in on itself like some wilting flower. Daryl shushed her as he ran a gentle, loving hand down her hair.

"Tessa, it'll be alright, I promise -!" He began but Tessa adamantly shaking her head, causing him to come to an abrupt stop.

"I always thought Dale was going to be there, Daryl . . . when I have the baby," She sobbed as she finally took her face out of her hands and turned a tear-stained gaze onto him. His heart twisted in his chest and he shushed her gently as a particularly gut-wrenching sob came from her lips. "He told me . . . he told me that I had nothing to worry about – that I was strong and that I was going to survive the birth and that if I ever needed help with it, that I knew where to find him . . .!"

Her sobbing face moving to bury in her pillow then, and Daryl sighed and pursed his lips as he got to his feet and moved over to the tent entrance. He stepped outside and Ethan glanced at her over his shoulder, a worried gaze pinning onto her. Daryl sighed as he shoved his hands down into his front pockets. "It's hit her pretty hard, as ya can imagine." He told him and Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, well, do you blame her, deddy?" He asked, and Daryl shook his head.

"Not a bit . . . _not _a bit. I know how much Dale meant to her. She gonna have some healin' after this." He replied as he turned his eyes onto him. "Tell ya what, I'm gonna stay here with her - make sure she don' do nothin' stupid. Why don' you go make sure how the others are doing - maybe help with Dale?" Ethan nodded and Daryl patted him on the back as he left the tent then and started making his way back to the field where everyone was still grouped loosely. Daryl ducked back into the tent and while Tessa still continued to sob, though the sobs were nowhere near as deep and prevalent as they had been. They were only mere cries and mewls of pain now.

Daryl sighed as he kicked off his boots and moved to undo hers from her supine position on the mattress. She flinched at his touch but he undid them anyway before moving onto the bed behind her. He pulled her close so that her back was pressing against his front and he wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace.

They lay like that for a moment, in complete and utter silence as Tessa lay there and continued to sob out her anguish and pain and it took a moment afterwards for Daryl to realize that Tessa was no longer sobbing. "Tessa . . .?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in slightly confusion and the words she replied to him with almost made him freeze.

"He wasn't the first man you had killed, was he?"

Daryl glanced down at her. "Ya mean other than ma old man?" Tessa nodded.

"I knew that . . . I was there and I saw you do it, remember?" Daryl nodded.

"Of course I 'member that. But why do ya ask?" Tessa shook her head as her finger worried as a moth-eaten hole in one of the sheets stretched out underneath them.

"It's just . . . the way you pulled the trigger on Dale – the way you so quickly jumped in Rick's place when you saw that he wouldn't be able to do it . . . it was just so _cold _and-and . . ." She trailed off and shook her head. "And when you did it, I remember thinking, 'Thank God! Finally, someone who can do the dirty work – who won't hesitate to get his hands bloody!" She shook her head. "Your attitude during the whole thing just shocked me, that was all." Daryl nodded as they faded into silence again and this time, Daryl was the one that broke it.

"Ya know, there was one time that me and ma old man actually saw eye-to-eye," He told her and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean? You and your old man _never _saw eye-to-eye!" She told him and he chuckled and shook his head.

"This one time in question happened when I was younger – before I met ya. Me and ma friends would hang out at the poolhall in town whenever we needed to kill time. It was a real shithole of a bar but the waitress had the biggest fuckin' tits ya had ever seen and ma friend used to spend all his time tryin' to get her to sleep with his pimply, sixteen-year-old ass! It was our prime source of entertainment!" Daryl chuckled for a moment in remembrance before continuing, "One day we're in there, I'm hustlin' some pool and all of a sudden, I hear ma name bein' called from behind me. I turn 'round and next thing I know, I'm in the parkin' lot behind the poolhall with five dudes kickin' my face in in retaliation for somethin' that Merle's stupid ass had done before he was carted off for his next stint in juvie! The fuckin' assholes put me in the hospital for a damn week! Two people sat with me that entire time - my uncle Jess and his wife, ma aunt Carolyn," He fell into silence for a moment there and Tessa glanced behind her at him.

"What happened next?" Daryl glanced at her before he picked up from where he left off.

"Ma last day there, when I'm finally healed up and 'bout ready to leave, my old man shows up, stone cold sober for once. He ends up leanin' in and slippin' me a piece of paper. It's got the names and addresses of those guys who had put me in there. He looked down at me and told me that if I didn' do somethin' 'bout 'em, that he would – and that he'd kill them for layin' a hand on one of his sons."

"What did you do?" Tessa asked and Daryl chuckled.

"I took one look at my old man and knew that I wouldn' make the same mistake that they did!" Tessa shook her head.

"Do you regret that day?" She asked him and Daryl glanced at her, immediately knowing what day she was referring to.

"You mean the day that I started punchin' my old man and I didn' stop?" She nodded and could feel him give a shrug.

"Most days, I don' really regret it – he _was_ possibly the biggest asshole on the face of the planet. And then on some days – a majority of those days – I think, hell no," He glanced down at Tessa. "Ya stepped in-between us Tess and if ya hadn', then he might still be alive. But when ya did and he accidentally slapped ya . . ." He shook his head. "That's what flipped me over the edge – hearin' the back of his hand connect with flesh and then seein' ya hit the ground at his feet like me and Merle had millions of times before that . . ." He shook his head again. "But before him . . . I got a couple of ma boys together and we finished what those dickheads had started."

She nodded but Daryl's firm hand moving her onto her back before gently but firmly taking her by the arms, kept her from descending into her thoughts. "Those other kills, Tess, those were cold. But Dale . . ." He shook his head. "Dale almost killed me, Tess! I like Dale, I really did – he was nothin' like those dickheads or even ma old man. They deserved it! Dale, though . . ." He shook his head, his eyes becoming mournful. "Dale deserved so much more than that!"

"Why did ya do it then?" She asked and Daryl shook his head.

"It was killin' ya to watch that, Tess. And with Rick takin' as long as he was to pull the damn trigger . . . I knew by the time he had finally found the balls to do it, ya would either be completely insane or as depressed as ya with, with Merle," He gave a half-shrug then as his fingers moved to traced light little patterns on the flesh of her stomach underneath her shirt. She shivered from the feeling. "That and I've been thinkin' what ya and Dale had been talkin' to me 'bout – 'bout how we have more weight in this group than we like to think – more than _I _like to think!" He sighed and looked away. "I suppose I've grown up enough to realize when we got a pretty sweet deal here – that maybe I should give Rick a chance."

"Are you?" She asked with an upturned brow and he shrugged as he pinned his gaze onto her.

"What do you think?" She shrugged.

"I think I can tell you what I want to do but your just gonna do what you think is best for me and the baby." She told him and he chuckled and nodded.

"That's a very good assumption but I have a feelin' I know what ya gonna say . . ." He replied and she smiled and nodded.

"Smartest thing you've thought all day!"


	30. Chapter 30

**Again, I'm so sorry for not updating in forever but I haven't really had any hoopsbah to write in anything! I know, I know, that's rare, but the second season of this chapter is finally starting to draw to a close and then I'll be writing the third season. And speaking I have so much fun shit prepared for the third season, I know I'm gonna be writing more and more. So finally, here's the long awaited next chapter :)**

**There is a hopeless amount of cursing in this chapter, but that's just Daryl, so who cares? Shane also gets a tooth knocked down his throat. Wanna guess who does it? ;)**

**HermioneandMarcus: Glad ya loved it :)**

**missy7293: I know this review wasn't left with the last chapter in mind, but I feel I should address it anyway. Thanks SOOO much for loving my story! It always puts a smile on my face whenever I read reviews that go on and on about how much someone adores and loves my story, as well as someone telling me that I am doing an awesome job of writing Daryl. He's a pretty difficult guy to write so I take that sincerely to heart. So again, thanks! :)**

**HaloHunter89: Yeah, I was so sad when Dale died. I started crying but when Daryl leaned over him and said "Sorry brother" before pulling the trigger, I started full out sobbing. It was also a pretty difficult part to right too because I wanted to get it just right but I think I did a pretty good job lol.**

* * *

The funeral for Dale had been a solemn one. Even the one for Otis or the one for Sophia, Shawn and Annette hadn't been more heartrending than this one. Tessa stood in front of Daryl, his hands resting on her shoulders while she found herself quite unable to tear her eyes away from the freshly dug grave in front of them, the dark brown earth almost black in the early morning sun.

"Dale . . . could get underneath your skin like no other person ever could," When Rick had started out speaking, his voice came out thick with emotions and in an entirely forced way. He laughed and shook his head. "He sure got under mine and quite a few of you people, I know . . ." His eyes flickered to each and every person standing there but no one held his gaze. They were all too busy still gazing down at the grave. It had almost a surreal quality, like they were standing at the grave of a stranger and then suddenly Dale would speak up from the top of the Winnebago and ask what the Hell they were doing grouped around a big pile of dirt.

Mournfully Tessa's looked behind them towards the Winnebago, almost as if she was hoping it would be true. When she didn't see his familiar Hawaiian shirt clad form carrying his customary rifle, she turned back to the grave, fresh tears appearing in her eyes. Her hands moved down to the bump of her stomach and she held them there for a moment until she felt Daryl's slip underneath hers and then she took them away, where her fingers entwined with his. She was content with knowing that he was there - that he would _always _be there and that there was nothing that would change that. Her baby was losing many great people before it could even see its first light of day! She found herself hoping and praying that Ethan and Daryl would remain right there beside her for a very long time.

Daryl's arms tightened slightly around her and she moved closer to his front as Rick continued on with what he had been saying. "He wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought – how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. Whenever any of us had a decision to make, we'd look towards Dale," A lone couple of tears ran down Carl's cheek and Lori tightened her arm around him. The woman's eyes briefly flickered to Tessa standing with her own family and she caught them easily. They shared a weak smile but it didn't last. Nothing found themselves lasting these last few days.

"He'd look back at us with that look he had . . . we've all seen it one time or another, I know we have. I couldn't always read him, but he could certainly read us. He saw people for who they were – who was loyal and good and who wasn't. He knew things about each of us – the truth - who we really are inside. And in the end, he was talking about losing our humanity," His eyes flickered to Daryl's then and the man held them unabashedly. "He said this group was broken. And the best way to honor him is to _unbreak _it – to set aside our differences and pull together – to stop feeling _sorry _for ourselves and to take control of our lives – our _safety _and our future, especially now that we have the little ones on the way!" His gazed flickered to Lori standing beside him and then Tessa standing by Daryl and Ethan, his eyes lingering for a moment on Tessa. She felt Daryl's arm tighten around her again as Rick shook his head.

"Despite what has been said, we are _not_ broken! We're gonna prove him wrong and I think that Dale would like that – I think he would _like _to see us prove him wrong! From now on, we're gonna do it his way," He gazed at each and every person there again and this time, quite a few gazes met his. One of them was Shane's and his eyes lingering on his best friend's, even as Rick's moved away. There an emotion to his eyes, a hidden emotion that Daryl had only seen flickering in the eyes of Merle when their deddy would take Daryl hunting or fishing and not take him. It was a look of jealously and anger . . . a look of a man about to seriously betray your ass.

Daryl's attentions were brought back out of his thoughts that Rick continued words and Daryl made a mental note to look out for the cop. "_That_, everybody, is how we honor Dale!"

After all . . . why would Daryl seriously want to be the leader if Rick kicked the bucket (because, Hell, everyone knew the role would revert to him and not back to Shane. Shane was, after all, clearly losing it)? Who the Hell _would _want that?

* * *

"It's gon' be crowded in that house – at least fifteen people," Daryl spoke up and Tessa shrugged as she continued packing up their things. She had been quiet ever since their night in the tent together after Dale's death and quite frankly, Daryl was worried about her. Their relationship had been going so well – he hated to see it start to go down the shitter again.

"It's for the good of the group, isn't it?" She asked and it took Daryl a moment to realize that her words had been laced with a bitter irony.

"Wait a minute . . . are ya angry 'cause ya think the group votin' to kill the _kid _is what caused Dale's death?" He asked and when Tessa's eyes flickered coldly up to his, he got his answer. With a laugh of disbelief, he moved to retort but they were interrupted by Rick telling Hershel the exact same thing that Daryl had just told Tessa. Hershel shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. With the swamp hardening and the creek drying up . . ." He trailed off and Maggie took over.

"With fifty head of cattle on the property too, we mine-as-well be ringing a damn dinner bell!" Hershel nodded in agreement.

"She's right. We should have moved you guys in a while ago, especially when the news of Lori and Tessa's pregnancies reached us." Rick nodded before he looked around him and raised his voice. Daryl had gotten to his feet at that moment and moved to join them while Tessa stayed where she was packing up her things. She shot her a relieved, small smile when Carol stooped to help her.

"Thank you for helping me, Carol." Tessa murmured and Carol nodded in reply, a soft smile appearing on her face.

"Don't mention it. You look like you've been treading water lately and you don't need to. You have friends here, Tessa – don't hesitate to ask them for help when things get to be a little too much!" She told her and Tessa shot her a grateful smile as they returned to what they were doing as Rick started to shout orders.

"Alright, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out towards the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill and another in the barn loft. That should give us some pretty good sightlines on both sides of the property," He nodded to T-Dog and the man nodded back as he moved to join them. "T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house, okay? Keep track of everyone coming and going – including Daryl and Ethan – _especially _Daryl and Ethan!" His eyes flickered to Tessa on her knees in her tent with Carol packing up her things and while Tessa was blissfully content to ignore him, Carol caught it and almost had to do a double take.

"What about standing guard?" T-Dog asked and Carol turned her eyes up onto Tessa.

"Have you ever noticed how Rick's been . . . paying extra attention to you lately?" She asked and Tessa paused in her picking up for a moment to turn a slightly confused, slightly interested gaze onto the older woman. She finally shrugged and returned to what she was doing.

"Lori has expressed her concerns to me and I, in turn, have expressed those concerns to Rick - although rather vaguely, I must admit. He can want me all he wants to and he can look out for me until the sun goes down, but he knows the only man I want and/or need is Daryl. I'm sorry, but Daryl is more than enough of a lookout for this family - _his _family! I would appreciate it if we have no one else to interfere with that."

Carol didn't know what to say to that, so she continued on with what she was doing as Rick continued speaking with T-Dog. "I need you and Daryl on double duty when he and Ethan aren't out hunting," He turned to face Daryl then, a slightly interested look appearing in his eyes. "Hey, is your boy good for perimeter watch?" He asked, and Daryl gave a flippant shrug.

"He's _been_ ready, Rick! 'Bout time, too, I was startin' to think his only job was to just stand 'round here and look pretty!" He grinned and Ethan returned his grin as he also gave a roll of his eyes. Rick nodded as he turned back to T-Dog.

"Throw Ethan in there with ya too; it should stabilize the schedule somewhat." T-Dog nodded and Daryl noticed the look of slight jealously that flickered through Carl's eyes when he heard his dad give Ethan permission to run the perimeter. Here they were, the same age, the same virtual _everything_, and Carl was sitting at home with his mother like a little boy while Ethan went off hunting and on zombie patrol with _his _father. And now they were starting to treat him like an adult even though he was thirteen and given perimeter check privileges! Carl shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He wished he could do that, but _no_ - Ethan was _Daryl's _son and no matter how badly Carl wanted it, he couldn't have it because he was too young. And even though Ethan was the _same _age, he only had the fortune to be born with Daryl Dixon as his father.

The world was so unfair sometimes.

T-Dog nodded as he moved off, Shane adopting a look of terseness as Rick and Daryl returned to the blue truck they had been grouped around minutes before. "I'll stock the basement with food and water," Hershel spoke up. "It'll be enough to where we can all survive there a few days if need be. Daryl and Ethan brought back quite a lot of game, so we should be good on meat for a while."

"What about patrols?" Andrea spoke up as she moved to join them and Rick nodded.

"Let's get this place lockdown and all our ducks in a row first. After that, Shane will assign shifts while me and Daryl take Randall offsite and cut him loose." Andrea nodded as they turned their gazes onto the man leaning against the side of the blue truck.

"We're back to that, now?" He asked and Rick sighed and rolled his eyes as he turned back to face his former best friend.

"Dale and Tessa were right – it was the right plan first time around. It was just poor execution."

"That's a slight understatement . . ." Shane muttered and Daryl immediately wanted to punch him for his obstinacy. He couldn't possibly be the only one who wasn't getting dog sick and fucking tired of this man's constant bullshit! Someone should just go ahead and put a bullet in his head and be done with it. Hell, Daryl would be _happy _to do it!

He caught Tessa's eye as she was getting out of the tent, Carol behind her with loaded bags and bins in their hands and she shook her head imperceptibly. He let out a laugh. Even as detached as she was, she could still sense when he was growing pissed off. Woman had ESP when he came to him and his moods.

"Look, you don't agree with this, I get it. I realize that and everyone else realizes that – Hell, you haven't exactly made any conscious effort to hide it!" Rick hissed to him, although the both of them knew that everyone could hear. "But this is _what _is happening so do everyone a favor and swallow it and move the fuck on!"

"You know that Dale's death and the prisoner is two separate things, right?" He asked but a sharp, condescending laugh afterwards immediately caught their attentions. Tessa had a grin of the same emotion on her face as she dropped the stuff she had been carrying and made her quick, purposeful way over to them. Daryl immediately straightened up and moved to her side, however, he ended up behind her than beside her or in front of her like he had planned. Her eyes were snapping with angry electricity as she pinned them on Shane's and her lips pursed with equal anger as she stopped when there was a short distance between them.

"Excuse me, Mr. G.I Joe-My-Shit-Don't-Stink, but do you have a minute to pull your head out of your ass and actually listen to someone's opinion other than yours?" Rick graciously backed away to give her the spot he had been occupying in front of Shane and Daryl followed her closely. His hand hooked around her elbow and while she didn't pull herself away, she had tensed, nonetheless. Shane's jaw tightened as he gazed down at the short, petite and pregnant woman standing before him and so did Daryl. He swore to God, if Shane even _touched _Tessa he would hit him so hard his _ancestors _were going to bleed!

Tessa let out a huff of disbelief and shook her head. "How can you honestly stand there and _begin _to try and hand us the load of bullshit that this kid and Dale's dying had nothing to do with each other? If you boneheads had just gone along with me and Dale in the first place, then you and Rick and Daryl would not have had to attempt to kill the kid. Dale would not have gone walking last night and he would not have stumbled upon the walker in the field. Thus, if you guys had listened to us and tried to search for another way to get rid of the kid that did not include killing him, Dale would still be alive, with his stomach intact instead of ripped the bloody Hell open!" Her eyes narrowed at him slightly and his jaw hardened even more. "But then again, you're the only one of us who isn't mourning for him, are you? You couldn't give a rat's flying ass if he was dead or not because now, that's just one more link in the chain of your humanity gone, ain't it?" She shook her head as Daryl's hand moved upwards from her elbow, to her upper arm. Shane smirked and chuckled as he turned his gaze down to the ground beneath their feet.

"Daryl, do everyone a favor and keep your whore on a leash, okay?"

"Shane, come on, that was -!"

"Oh, ya fuckin' _jackass_! Come here and let me shut that fuckin' mouth fer ya -!"

"_Daryl -_!_"_

There was a sharp crack that split the air and Shane felt a tooth being knocked from his head as Daryl's fist collided almost cruelly with his jaw. It was a Will Dixon punch – a punch that Daryl immediately became proud of. It was a punch that also immediately made Shane see birds flying around his head as he fell back against the truck. T-Dog, Tessa and Glenn were pulling a spitting and hissing Daryl away from him although Shane was exactly paying attention. He was fighting to get the pounding in his jaw under control. He hadn't broken it but he had damn well made it sore. "If ya _ever _talk 'bout Tessa in that way again, I swear to God that ya'll fuckin' regret it!" He hissed and when they were sure that he wouldn't try anything more, they let him go. Tessa flew to Daryl side as he shook his hand, a venomous glare settling on Shane. "Fuckin' Goddamn skinhead!" She heard him mutter and Tessa had to fight to keep a grin from splitting her features. Shane returned the glare of death for a moment before spitting out his tooth and turning an equally venomous glare onto Rick.

"You wanna take Daryl as ya wingman – ya want to adopt him as your best friend now when in the old world you wouldn't have given him the time of day except to search his car for pot, then be my fuckin' guest!" He stood then and his eyes fell onto Tessa's for a moment, his eyes becoming angry before he returned them to Rick. "But take my advice: when they ask ya to join in, don't do it. God only knows what that bitch has got!"

"Ya _Goddamn _fuckin' asshole - I swear to _God_ that I'll kick the rest of ya teeth down ya _motherfuckin'_ throat, so don' ya _dare _fuckin' tempt me-!"

"Daryl, _stop it_! The piece of shit isn't worth it!" Tessa ordered him as she stood in front of him, her hands immediately moving to his chest. Shane was already walking off at that moment and Tessa stayed in front of Daryl until he had disappeared wherever, just to make sure that he wouldn't go barging after him.

"I swear to God that I'll kill that fuckin' skinhead – jus' fuckin' watch!" Daryl hissed and Tessa couldn't help but laugh as she moved to wrap her arms around his waist in an embrace.

"Daryl, I love you!" She laughed and she could feel him nod jerkily as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. His lips placed a gentle but short kiss on the top of her head.

"Damn, Tess, why do ya gotta keep sayin' shit ya already know the answer to!" He teased with a grin on his face as he fished around in the front pocket of his jeans for the bike keys before throwing them to Ethan. His son caught them expertly mid-air as Daryl nodded towards the house. "Drive the bike up to the house fer me, would ya Ethan?" Ethan nodded as he took off at a jog for Merle's bike and Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion.

"Ethan can drive Merle's bike?" She asked as she turned her eyes up to his, and Daryl nodded.

"Jesus, Tess, ya don' think we hunt all the damn time, do ya? We have to do _some _fun shit every now and again!"

* * *

"Are you guys getting your customary bedroom?" Lori asked with a grin, and Tessa gave a half shrug as they sorted through the bags and bins in the bed of the truck.

"I suppose we are. I brought up to Hershel where me, Daryl and Ethan were gonna sleep so we could put our things there and he wouldn't hear anything about me and Daryl sleeping on the floor. He alluded to _our _bedroom still being open, so I suppose we'll have to take it. Ethan, I suppose, will sleep down on the first floor with everyone else if we don't have room in the bedroom, which is inconceivable!" She let out a weak, slightly wry laugh at that and Lori returned it, a tight smiled finding a home on her face. Tessa glanced at her, a wary look appearing in her eyes. Things had become awkward between them again, even after Lori baring her heart and soul to her friend. No matter what they told each other, Tessa still had a man that would fight tooth and nail for her while Lori had a man who all but ignored her. That was a source for major jealously on Lori's part and it would _always_ be a major source of jealously on her part. Hell, _everyone _treated Tessa's pregnancy like it was a grace from God whereas Lori was looked at like . . . like . . .

_Like you're a whore? After all Lori, what woman doesn't even know who the father of her own child is?_

Lori shook the haunting voice from her thoughts but couldn't help but give them audience, nonetheless. She glanced over at Tessa out of the corner of her eye and immediately noticed the radiancy of her skin and the way she would lightly hum underneath her breath whenever she would go about doing anything that required work. She could see the light, affectionate kisses and touches that Daryl would afford her – the especial way he would always look out for a rabbit or a squirrel or a turkey whenever him and their son would go hunting, all depending on what she was craving at the time. Everything about them seemed to be a gift from the Heavens – their adoration of each other, their loyalty towards each other – their _fucking _sex life!

Lori thought that was what she envied the most . . . their amazing damn sex life.

Lori shook her head as Tessa pulled one of the Grimes bins from the back of the truck, T-Dog almost tripping over himself to take it from her. "No, no, Tess, don't strain yourself!" There was a small smile on his face as she handed it to him and Lori doubted all the respect everyone afford her was because Daryl Dixon was her man. Tessa had the kind of personality that was very easily likable and aside from Shane and Andrea, everyone in the group loved and adored her. Daryl had little to nothing to do about it.

Tess gave him a smile and so did Lori. "Thanks, T-Dog." She told him and he shook his head.

"Don't mention it, Tess." He spoke and Lori nodded to him

"Rick and Carl and I are taking the corner of the living room." She called to him as he turned around towards the house and T-Dog nodded but Hershel shaking his head as he exited the house, made him pause.

"You can put that in my room," He spoke and Lori and Tessa turned wide-eyed looks of surprise onto him as he moved down the steps to join them. "You'll be more comfortable there," He added and Lori shook his head.

"We can't do that, Hershel!" Hershel smiled as he placed gentle, grandfatherly hands on Tessa and Lori's shoulders.

"Two pregnant women and two children sleeping on the floor while I've got a bed to myself - I won't hear of it! Tessa and her family have the spare bedroom which leaves only you. Take my bed – you need it in your state!" Lori smiled and shook her head but couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart. At least there was _someone _who cared about her in this group other than Tessa!

"This is still your house!"

"This is _our _home," He gently corrected her. "I'll take the couch downstairs – don't worry none. On nights when I came home reeking of bourbon, my wife would lock the bedroom door," T-Dog had returned to take more bins directed by Tessa and Lori only spared him a cursory glance as Hershel continued, "I'm sad to say that couch and I are almost like old friends."

"If you two can't decide, I'll take it . . ." T-Dog mentioned and they all grinned and laughed as Tessa playfully slapped him on the shoulder. Lori allowed a gently hand to run down Hershel's arm.

"Thank you, Hershel . . ." She told him as she turned back to the truck, lest no one see her relieved tears.

* * *

Later, when everything was loaded into the house and everyone was settling down for supper, Rick and Daryl found themselves sitting on the porch with a map stretched out between them. "We could take him out to Senoia – hour there, hour back, give or take," Rick began, his finger tracing the path they would take on the map. "We might lose the light but we'll halfway home by then, so it shouldn't matter too bad," He turned a grin onto Daryl. "We'll have ya back before Tess misses ya too much." Daryl couldn't help but return his grin with a smile as he backed away from the map to sit down on one of the low porch walls.

"Ya damn right 'bout that. I'll come home, make love to ma girl and in the morning, we'll let this little pain in the fuckin' ass become a distant memory!" He shook his head. "Good fuckin' riddance, I say, too. Its been killin' Tess lately." Rick nodded in agreement as he stood up too and began folding up the map.

"Speaking of Tess, her and Carol are going to be putting together some provisions for him before supper, enough to last a few days if he rations them properly." They turned their gazes outward as Shane's car came speeding up the dirt driveway towards them and the house, throwing up dust clouds at it went. Rick turned an expressionless gaze onto Daryl.

"That thing ya did last night . . ." He shrugged, at a loss for what to say when Daryl turned his eyes up to him. Daryl also shrugged.

"Me and Tess been talkin' . . . there ain' no reason that ya have to do all the heavy liftin', ya know?" Rick nodded in agreement, a slightly relieved look appearing in his eyes as Shane's car pulled up. He waved the map at him.

"So you guys are good with all this? You _and_ Tess . . .?" Daryl shrugged.

"I don' see me and ya tradin' haymakers on the side of the road and she don' either," He gave a light laugh. "Hell – I don' think that anybody would win that fight!" Rick laughed and shook his head.

"Just remind me that if it ever does happen, not to bring up Tess. I swear to God Daryl, you cross a line whenever someone brings up her!" Daryl returned the laugh with a shrug.

"She's ma girl, Rick - she's the only thing in this world that keeps me sane. Not-to-mention, she's pregnant with my little rug-rat," He turned a keen gaze up to him. "A man needs to protect his own," He gave a flippant shrug. "Forgive me if I cross a line here, but its almost on the same line of eatin' pussy. Ya ain' a man if ya don'!" Daryl chuckled when he saw that Rick had no answer to him and he continued to chuckle as he tossed Shane a single cursory glance over his shoulder as the man made his slow way up to them and the house. His chuckling disappeared as he rapped his knuckles on the wooden table in front of them.

"I'm gon' take a piss, 'kay?" He muttered darkly and Rick nodded as Daryl got to his feet and made a quick retreat towards the front door of the house. He didn't care how good of friends him and Rick were becoming – he still wanted to kick Shane's teeth down his throat.


	31. Chapter 31

**Holy _crap _this chapter did not wanna get written! Probably because we're actually on the next to last chapter before we end the Season 2 part of this story (yay!) and I just wanted to get it done, so its probably not my best work by far. But anyway, speaking we are about to get done with this season, I need you guys to PM me or review or whether or not you want me to continue season 3 in THIS story or end this one and create another one. I can do both, which is why I'm so torn, so what I really need is you guy's input. So please, do that for me and it'll majorly help me along :)**

**missy7293 - Yeah, its super fun to write Daryl when he's being all fluffy and protective, probably because we virtually never see that side of him but it also challenging to keep the balance between writing HIM and then being a little OC. Glad you like it though :)**

**HaloHunter89 - Yeah, I'm not entirely sure if I wanna expand on Rick's feelings for Tess (of course them being one sided) but I guess it all depends on how much drama I wanna put in the next part.**

**PS - Sorry, sorry, a thousand times sorry for the extreme shortness of this chapter. Again, this chapter did not wanna be written and every time I would sit down to actually write the damn thing I would people calling and wanting to hang out and/or need me to do something. The next one should be more the length you guys are used to.**

* * *

Randall was gone.

Randall was _actually _gone.

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked, her voice alarmed, as everyone filed out of the house and Glenn pursed his lips as he connected eyes with Rick and then briefly, Daryl.

"Randall is gone." He told her and everyone's eyes widened in horror.

"Missing? How is he missing?" Maggie demanded and everyone shrugged.

"How long has he been gone?" Hershel asked, trying to restore some semblance of stability to the group and they shrugged weakly again.

"It's hard to say for sure," Rick told him as he exited from the shed. "The cuffs are still hooked, though. He must have slipped then."

"Is that possible?" Carol asked and Rick nodded as Andrea exited the shed as well.

"It is if ya got nothing to lose!" She answered her with a shake of her head as Hershel closed the shed door back.

"The door was closed and secured from the outside. I don't know how this could have happened." He spoke and Tessa shook her head as her fingers flew to her necklaces. Daryl took his side next to her.

"Well then, how could he have gotten out? He's not fucking David Copperfield!" She reminded them and Rick opened his mouth to say something, however, he was interrupted by Shane suddenly shouting out his name. When the man walked out of the woods, the front of his face covered in blood, everyone immediately gasped in shock and worry, including Tessa and Daryl.

"What happened?" Lori yelled to him and Shane shook his head as he continued on his way towards them.

"He's armed!" He shouted to them "He's got my gun!"

"Are you alright?" It was Carl that spoke this time and Shane nodded.

"I'm fine. Little bastard just snuck up on me is all. He clocked me in the face before I even knew what was happening." Rick nodded as he turned back towards the group.

"All right, Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back to the house. Glenn, Daryl, Ethan – come with us!" Daryl and Ethan turned one last look back at Tessa but she simply told him to go and hurriedly pushed them in the direction of Rick and Shane. They nodded and immediately took off at a jog for him as Tessa was prodded gently back in the direction of the house by Carol and Lori.

"T, I'm gonna need that gun!" Shane told him and T-Dog nodded as he handed it to him. Carol simply shook her head.

"Just let him go," She spoke. "That was the plan, wasn't it, to just let him go?"

"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here," Rick told her. "Not on our front step with a damn gun!" He glanced back at them as they marched towards the woods. "Get everybody in the house – stay put – and lock all the damn doors!"

"I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out," Shane told him as they entered the cool shade of the woods seconds later. "I'm not sure how long I was out but he couldn't have gotten far with that leg of his." Rick nodded in agreement.

"He's hobbled and exhausted."

"And armed," Glenn added but Rick glanced back at him.

"Remember: so are we," He pointed at Daryl and Ethan who were already busy studying the leafy forest floor. "Can you guys track him at all?" Daryl shook his head.

"No, I don' see anythin'. Ethan?" He glanced back at his son and he shook his head.

"Nope, I don't see nothin', deddy. I don't even think he's come through here . . ."

"Look, there ain't any use in tracking him, okay?" Shane spoke up, his voice adopting a tone that immediately made Daryl's hair stand on end. And judging by the sudden tenseness in Ethan's body as his gaze flew onto Shane, he sensed it as well. "He went that way. We just need to pair up and spread out and chase him down. That's it!"

"The kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. Hell, Ethan's years younger than him and probably weighs more," He turned a highly skeptical gaze onto him. "Are ya tryin' to tell us that he got the jump on ya? Forgive me if I call bullshit on that."

"I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" Shane replied with venom lacing his tone and hatred filling his eyes.

"All right, knock it off!" Rick interrupted them before it could get even worse and turned towards Daryl. "You, Glenn and Ethan start heading up the right flank. Me and Shane will take the left," Daryl nodded as Rick held him back. "Remember, Randall's not the only threat out there, especially so close to dark! Keep an eye out for each other."

They all nodded as they went their separate ways then, Ethan running to catch up with his father and best friend. "You really think Rick's okay with just Shane?" He asked them, Daryl in particular, and he gave a shrug.

"Rick ain' a stupid man. Hopefully he knows that Shane is 'bout to _majorly_ show him his true colors and he'll be ready for it."

"And if he isn't?" Glenn asked, hesitancy appearing in his eyes and Daryl heaved a sigh and a hard swallow.

"Then I guess I'll have to prepare to become the new group leader, eh? Hell, fuck Lori - Tess is already practically Den Mother!"

* * *

They had to admit, as the three of them moved as quietly as they could (Daryl and Ethan moving substantially quieter than Glenn was) that the gloom and darkness of the forest was a tad bit unsettling. It was like something out of a horror movie: three friends walking through the woods when all of a sudden they're set upon by a couple of inbred maniacs wearing coveralls. Even if they were armed, the thought still sent shivers down their spines.

Daryl and Ethan's eyes were trained perpetually on the ground as they walked, straining to find even the slightest clue as to where the kid had gone while Glenn served as their lookout – constantly gazing around them to be sure they weren't about to find themselves in the middle of a walker herd.

A bird squawked and immediately took off, his wings beating against the leafy forest floor caused Glenn jump. Ethan shot him a grin over his shoulder. "Easy Glenn; I think birds are the least of our worries right now." He told him and Glenn nodded.

"Y-yeah, I know. It just . . . it startled me, that's all." He replied and Daryl glanced at the both of them.

"Stay focused ya'll. If tha' kid is as dangerous as Shane says he is – which, again, I severely doubt it – then we wanna keep a lookout." Glenn nodded in agreement and so did Ethan as he returned his eyes to the forest floor underneath their feet. They once again descended into a silence that was only punctuated by the sounds of their feet against the ground, croaking frogs and crickets.

Eventually, Daryl heaved a sigh as they came to a stop. "This is fuckin' pointless. Glenn, give me a light." Glenn nodded as he handed him the flashlight. Daryl cut it on and began shining it on the ground. "Maybe we'll be able to actually find somethin' now that we have some light!" He muttered and eventually, when that proved fruitless as well, he let out an impatient groan. "Goddammit – come on ya two, let's try over here." He spoke and Ethan and Glenn glanced at each other before they nodded and followed him.

"I can' shake the feelin' that something bad is gonna happen. Do ya get that?" Ethan asked after a moment, glancing at them and while Glenn immediately nodded, it took a moment before Daryl did.

"Ya mean _aside _from Rick and Shane?" Ethan nodded and he pursed his lips.

"Yeah . . . Yeah I do. Don' know why tho' but I get the feelin' that this night is only gonna get worse. Which is why I wanna find this damn kid and then get back on home," He shook his head. "I don' wanna leave ya momma alone when I got this feelin' 'cause my feelin's are almost always correct."

"Yeah, but we're back to square one." Glenn spoke up with a slightly irritated sigh when they found themselves looped back to where they had been five minutes earlier. Daryl shook his head.

"Yeah, well, if there was one thing ma old man taught me that I actually took to heart, its if ya gonna do somethin', ya mine-as-well do that somethin' right. Now that we have light, we might pick up somethin' that we previously missed."

"Which is entirely possible . . ." Ethan muttered as the bright beam of the flashlight swept the floor in front of them. After a few minutes of doing this, Ethan slapped a hand on Daryl's chest before pointing down at the ground.

"Look, there's two sets of tracks right there," He spoke and Daryl nodded that he saw them as he bent down to get a closer look.

"Shane must've followed him a lot longer than he said . . ." He spoke and Ethan glanced at him as Daryl got to his feet and they began following them.

"Does that surprise you, though?" Daryl shook his head.

"Nothin' with tha' snake surprises me," He replied as the beam of the flashlight settled onto a tree in front of them, "There's fresh blood on this tree, too – ya see tha'?" Ethan nodded as all three of them stepped closer. Glenn continued to keep a good watch around them as Ethan pointed to the ground again.

"There's more tracks goin' off this-a-way . . ." Daryl nodded.

"Looks like they're walkin' in tandem too . . ." An animal howled in the distance then, drowning out Daryl's voice in his ear as Glenn shot another nervous look over his shoulder, accidentally bumping into Daryl as he did so. Both Dixons came to quite a sudden stop and turned back to gaze at him, Ethan fighting to hold back a grin as Daryl simply shot him an expressionless look. Glenn blanched slightly and quickly backtracked off of him.

"S-sorry . . ." He immediately apologized and Ethan let out a snort of a laugh as Daryl shook his head and went back to what he had been doing.

"There was a little dust-up right here," Daryl spoke up as he moved closer to where the flashlight beam was now trained.

"What do ya mean?" Glenn asked him, anything to get his mind off of the weird animal sounds that were starting to pick up around them and Daryl gave a half-hearted shrug.

"I mean that somethin' went down here." Ethan's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah, and it was pretty big too." He added and Glenn swallowed heavily.

"This is starting to get weird." He spoke and Ethan turned the same look onto Glenn – eyebrows raised in slight disbelief.

"Man, this has been weird since Shane came walkin' out of the forest a while ago!" He spoke and Daryl nodded in agreement as he continued walking, following the tracks they had so recently found. Daryl paused for a minute before quickly walking forward.

"They had a little trouble . . ." He told them as he bent down and picked up the length of black cloth lying on the ground. He held it up in the flashlight beam and Ethan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Isn' that the dude's blindfold?" He asked and Daryl nodded.

"I'd bet my last dollar, it was." He replied but a rustling and cracking in the trees not far away caused them to jump and immediately take cover. The cracking was _much _too big for an animal. Glenn's breathing came out hard as he peered around his tree, only to see the form of a human walking slowly by two trees not far away from them. He turned to face Daryl and Ethan standing behind two more trees when he heard the whistle. Daryl tossed him the flashlight and Glenn caught it expertly as the two Dixons peered around the tree, already tracking the walker's movements.

Glenn nodded, hefting his ax aloft as he slowly moved out from behind the tree. The beam of his flashlight caught the kid's now decayed face and he opened his mouth and let out a creaking moan as his hands outstretched towards Glenn. The younger man froze underneath the walker's milky white gaze, dropping his ax as he did so and Daryl cursed under his breath as he aimed his crossbow and pulled the trigger. Glenn hit the ground, hands scrabbling uselessly for his ax and the crossbow bolt missed the walker by inches as his hands grabbed onto Daryl and wrested him to the ground. Ethan let out a shout of alarm and drew back his bow, quickly settling his sights on the walker. His arrow missed too as Daryl let out a grunt, trying everything in his power to keep the walker's jaws and hands from biting him or digging into his stomach like Dale.

Daryl felt the walker fall to the side as Glenn slammed into him with his shoulder, where he reared back and slammed his ax into his head. The walker let out a gurgle and then fell silent, his eyes gazing lifelessly up at him. Ethan quickly helped his father to his feet, Daryl breathing hard as he quickly checked himself for bites or scratches. When he was satisfied that he was completely clean, he bent down beside the walker and gazed at him for a moment as Ethan went in search of their arrows.

Yup, it was the kid.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he gently tilted his head this way and that. "The kid got his neck broke," He spoke and Glenn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as did Ethan's when he finally found his arrow and Daryl's crossbow bolt. Daryl flipped him over and checked his body for the customary walker bite and when he spoke, his voice was clearly confused.

"Yeah, none ya can see," Glenn spoke as Daryl continued to search the walker and Ethan let out a snort of a laugh as he made his way back to them.

"Yeah, sorry Glenn, but I don't exactly think the guy would be having walker bites on anywhere embarrassing!" Glenn shot him a look over his shoulder and Daryl shook his head.

"Naw, I'm tellin' ya two – he died from this," He pointed to the kid's snapped neck and Glenn shot him a confused look.

"How is that possible? It doesn't match what Shane told us." He asked it was then that the three of them shared a stricken look.

"Unless Shane _was_ lying . . ." Ethan added slowly, quietly and Daryl nodded.

"Which means Rick's in some pretty deep shit."

* * *

"Hey honey, what's wrong?"

Lori jumped slightly and glanced back at Tessa as her best friend moved to join her. She smiled a small smile and shrugged weakly as her hand splayed out on her collarbone. She had been staring out one of the second floor windows facing the woods that the guys had gone off into in search of the missing kid, and shrugged again.

"Nothing, I don't guess. It's just . . . I'm worried about them, ya know? I can't help but feel uneasy – like something bad is gonna happen." She spoke and Tessa nodded slowly in agreement.

"Yeah, I know, I've been feelin' it too. It has me uneasy as well," She shook her head as she heaved a shaky sigh, crossing her arms in front of her chest as well as she moved to join her friend by the window. "I just want Daryl and Ethan to come back, ya know? I want them to be here in case some shit really does hit the fan – so I know they are safe!" Lori nodded in agreement as well.

"I know what ya mean honey, I really do."


	32. Chapter 32

**Okay, I lied, this is not the last chapter of season 2 lol. This technically takes places during the season finale of season 2 and since there's just SO much I wanted to do for this episode, the chapters kinda . . . exploded. I think there's one more chapter after this one and then its done, I promise lol.**

**This chapter does skip around POVs pretty regularly and I'm sorry if it you maybe get lost (although I doubt it)but its how I designed it. You guys get Tessa, Ethan and Daryl's POVs and that's it.**

**PS - What in the Hell happened to all my regular reviewers? I mean, seriously guys, makes me think that I done something :(**

* * *

"Daryl – Ethan!"

Daryl immediately opened his arms to allow Tessa to run into them when he, Ethan and Glenn arrived back from the woods a good ten minutes later and stepped into the farmhouse, the screen door banging shut behind them. Maggie ran into Glenn's and while Beth, who was standing beside Jimmy, did nothing, it would have taken a blind man not to have seen the small smile that they shared.

"Oh my God, I was so worried about you!" Tessa told them as she released Daryl and pulled her son into another tight embrace. Daryl's hand hooked into her elbow and he pinned her with a firm stare.

"Ya feelin' this too?" He asked her, his voice lowering and Tessa nodded, her gaze swapping with his and their son's. Ethan nodded as well.

"I feel it too," He told her, his voice lowering like his father's and Tessa swallowed hard as they all turned back to the group huddled in the farmhouse's living room. Daryl gazed around at them all, his arm moving to loop around Tessa's waist as he did so.

"Rick and Shane ain' back yet?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in slight concern and Lori shook her head, her features contorting in a mask of nervousness as her hand flew to her collarbone again. Daryl shared an uneasy look with Glenn and Ethan.

"No. We haven't heard from them at all."

"Well, we heard a shot on our way back." Daryl responded and Lori shrugged, hoping to all Hell that it meant nothing.

"Maybe they found Randall,"

"No, they didn' – we did." Daryl spoke, ignoring the way that Tessa's hands fisted into the sleeves of his jacket.

"Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asked from her place standing beside Glenn, and Ethan shook his head and glanced back at her.

"He was a walker. We had to kill him."

Everyone fell silent at that and Hershel was the one who broke that silence, his hands moving to bury deeply into the front pockets of his pants. "Did you guys find the walker that bit him?" He asked, and Daryl shook his head as Glenn pursed his lips.

"Yeah, the weird thing was that he wasn't bitten."

"His neck was broken." Daryl added, his voice soft and his tone solemn, and Patricia's eyes widened slightly at their ominous words.

"So he fought back . . .?"

"The thing is," Daryl began with another shake of his head as he shouldered his crossbow and allowed Tessa to fall even more into his arms, trembling slightly. She was already beginning to piece together what had happened before Daryl even explained things and quite frankly, she didn't like the potential outcome at all. "Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane ain' no tracker, so he didn' come up behind him. They were _together_."

"I am so sorry Tess, but will you _please _get back out there and find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?" Lori begged him as she came up to them, her voice close to breaking. Daryl smiled a small smile and nodded as he gave Tessa's hip a squeeze before turning around and heading back towards the front door. Lori smiled gratefully as Tessa allowed him to go, choosing to stay with Lori and make sure she wouldn't have a mental breakdown.

"Ya got it."

"Thank you, _so much_, Daryl!" Lori thanked him with a gentle squeeze on his arm and Tessa watched him go for a moment before turning her eyes back onto Lori. She smiled comfortingly as her hands moved to grasp her shoulders, grounding her and forcing her friend to gaze into her eyes.

"Lori, honey, everything will be okay, I promise. It's probably just a huge misunderstanding! Rick and Shane will be fine!"

"Aw shit – Tess, Ethan, Andrea and Glenn - ya guys might wanna come out here and see this!"

Tessa's heart plummeted into her stomach when they heard Daryl's uneasy voice from outside on the porch and the people he called shared slightly confused looks with each other and everybody else as they quickly left their spots in the living room to join him outside. Tessa and Ethan immediately ran to his side, her heart pounding in her throat as Ethan swallowed heavily, her hand shooting down to grasp his. They heard walkers growling in the distance and slowly but surely, through the fog and the gloom of the night, they saw the biggest herd of walkers make their lumbering way towards the farm.

"Oh _shit_!" Tessa breathed out in disbelief and Daryl nodded numbly. Everyone left inside soon came out to join them, and Hershel turned towards Patricia, heart pounding in his chest like everybody else's.

"Patricia, kill the lights!" He told her and she nodded before quickly running to do what he said and Andrea nodded as she moved back towards the house.

"I'll get the guns." Maggie nodded as she allowed her to squeeze past her and Daryl got the distinct feeling that Tessa was trying to cut off the blood circulation in his hand, she was gripping him so tight.

"Maybe they'll pass us by like the herd on the highway – should we just go inside?" Glenn asked Daryl and he felt the keen desire to snap at him for a moment, however, he shook off the urge. That's what a younger, more impulsive Daryl would have done. With Rick gone, however, and Shane most probably dead, Daryl knew he was the new second-in-command and with Rick gone, everyone turned to him for guidance.

No pressure.

Daryl shook his head as he glanced back at him. "Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs in the basement that I don' know 'bout. A herd that size will rip the whole damn house down, easy."

"Well what do we do?" Ethan asked him and Daryl swallowed hard while raking his brains hard to find a solution. Meanwhile, Lori, breathless and clearly scared, jogged onto the porch.

"Carl's gone."

"What?" Daryl asked, his eyes immediately shooting back onto her and she swallowed hard and nodded.

"He-he was upstairs and I can't find him anymore."

Good Lord . . . already Daryl found himself swamped with problems and already he was feeling the heat. How the Hell did Rick do this from day-to-day without going insane?

"Maybe he's hiding." Glenn suggested and Lori shook her head.

"He's supposed to be upstairs," She told him, trying desperately to catch her breath and it was then that Tessa flew over to her, her arm moving to grasp her around her shoulders. She shushed her gently and Lori glanced at her and calmed down slightly but still remained on edge. "Tess, I'm not leaving without my boy!" She continued as she turned a wide-eyed, tear-stained look onto her best friend and Tessa nodded, taking her into a hug.

"I know, sweetie, and we're not!" She assured her, throwing a look Daryl's way and he pursed his lips slightly. Carol nodded in agreement.

"We're going to go look for him again, you wanna come with me?" She asked, her voice shaking as well as she took a gentle hold of Lori and steered her to the house, Tessa shooting her a grateful look as she did so. She flew back over to Daryl when they were gone, however.

"Daryl . . .!" He nodded, stopping her from continuing as he glanced back at the herd of walkers steadily growing closer to them.

"I know, babydoll, I know!" He told her as Andrea returned with the gun bag and dropped it onto the wooden floor of the porch. She started handing the guns out to people. Tessa watched with wide-eyes and Daryl forced her to turn her gaze back onto him. "Babydoll, I need you to focus right now!" He murmured to her and she nodded.

"Y-Yeah . . . focused – I can do that!" She breathed out and Daryl nodded gratefully as they turned back to Andrea. Glenn settled a slightly alarmed look onto Maggie who had accepted a gun.

"You grow up country, you pick up a thing or two." She told him before he could say anything and Daryl shook his head, feeling Tessa's grip on his arms tighten slightly. Thankfully, she was putting on a brave face and his anxiety lessened somewhat. Thank God he wouldn't have to deal with a hysterical Tessa. There was already a hysterical Lori, they didn't need someone else in the same boat.

"They got the numbers – its no use."

"You can go if ya want," Hershel told them as he loaded the rifle in his hands before cocking the gun and Daryl pinned him with a keen, expressionless stare.

"Ya gonna take 'em all on?" He asked slowly and Hershel chuckled.

"We have guns and we have cars." He spoke and Andrea nodded in agreement.

"Kill as many as we can, then we use the cars to lead the rest of them off of the farm."

"Are ya guys serious?" Daryl asked with almost abject disbelief in his voice and Hershel nodded.

"This is my farm," He told him. "I'll die here."

Daryl sighed before shrugging. "All right then. It's as good a night as any, I suppose . . ." He spoke and when he moved to walk off, Tessa's hands fisted like a steel grip in his shirt, holding him back. He turned his eyes onto her and saw tears welling up in her eyes. She shook her head.

"Daryl, don't leave me!" She murmured and he shook his head.

"I ain' ever gonna leave ya, Tess!" He promised her, his tone level and gentle. "But even if I don' make it, I've gotta make damn sure that ya and Ethan do! There ain' nothin' ya can say or do to change ma mind – it's _gonna_ happen! Ya gotta have our babies Tess – ya gotta!" He licked his lips then in slight nervousness as he glanced back inside the farmhouse, where Carol and Lori were frantically trying to find Carl. "I need ya to stay here. With Rick gone, I've taken over the mantle of leader. I need ya to stay here and keep the peace as much as ya can while I'm out there. If we're gonna survive this, we need to work together – we can' be torn on _anything_!" Tessa opened her mouth to speak, stricken, but Daryl shook his head as he framed her face with his hands and shook his head. "Tess, I'll do anythin' to get back to ya, ya know that! And if the shit hits the fan and we end up needin' to leave, then I'll come back fer ya – I promise ya!" Tessa nodded as she stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him. She kissed him like it was potentially their last kiss together and her heart pounded in her chest at the thought, though she hoped to Hell it wasn't.

When they broke apart seconds later, Daryl turned his eyes onto Ethan. He shook his head. "This better not be goodbye, old man! Here we are, jus' starting to have that annoying father/son bond . . .!" He told him and Daryl grinned and chuckled as he shook his head.

"Ya know it ain', kid!" He told him before pulling him into a hug. "Ya know it ain', but jus' to make sure, come on and give me a hug for good luck, alright?" Ethan laughed as he embraced his father tightly, trying his damndest not to let any tears show. When they broke apart, Daryl turned his gaze onto Tessa again. "Ya protect ya momma, ya understand? Ya protect her wit ya last breath!" He told him and Ethan nodded.

"Yes, sir – ya don' have to tell me twice!" He spoke and Daryl gave him another smile before ruffling his hair and turning back to Tessa. Swallowing hard, she grasped him by his leathers and pulled him close again. She held him close for a moment, her eyes closing as she willed back the tears that threatened to bloom in her eyes, their foreheads touching.

"You come back to me, Daryl Dixon, you hear? If you don't, then I swear to God -!" Daryl chuckled as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"Ya damn right I'll come back to ya, Tess. I wanna be there when ma babies are born – I wouldn' miss tha' again for the world!"

* * *

Tessa watched, frozen, from the window as the vehicles drove up the dirt driveway and into the front yard, where they immediately began fanning out, Daryl on Merle's bike leading the convoy. Gunshots could soon be heard and Carol flitted over to Tessa, a concerned look on her face.

"Honey, maybe you should come away from the window . . .?" Tessa shook her head as her fingers skated over the smooth bear necklace hanging around her neck.

"If he goes down, I want to see him go down, Carol," She told her, her eyes glued on her man firing as many shots as he could at the moaning walkers. She shook her head and glanced at her. "I want to live thinking that his last sight was looking up here and seeing me."

"Guys, look!"

Ethan's voice brought them out of their somber conversation and he moved to point outside the window over his mother's shoulder. The barn was fully ablaze, the midnight black outside world punctuated by a bright orange fireball in the distance. Tessa shook her head in awe.

"Rick must have done that." She spoke and Ethan nodded.

"It's drawing some of the walkers, too – like moths to damn candle flame!"

Patricia and Beth nodded in agreement as a door slammed upstairs and Lori came jogging down the stairs seconds later. "Tess, I can't find him anywhere!" She spoke, her voice heavy with unshed emotion as she continued to flit from room to room.

"Maybe he snuck outside -?" Carol suggested and Tessa shot her a look telling her that maybe that wasn't exactly the best thing to tell her, as Lori fell into her arms, tears finally showing up in her eyes.

"Oh God, Tess, _w__hat do I do_?" She asked and Tessa shook her head wordlessly as Lori placed a hand to her mouth.

"He _was_ here!" Carol continued as she neared them. "He must have run off – maybe looking for Rick or went after Randall himself -"

"Carol!" Tessa interrupted her with a snap as her eyes snapping with a slightly irritated electricity. "That's not probably the best thing you could say right now!" She told her through tightly gritted teeth and Carol promptly shut up as Lori moved out of Tessa's grasp and spun around in slow circles, her eyes taking in everything in her surrounding and trying desperately to think of where Carl had gone that encompassed nothing of what Carol had so recently said.

"Maybe he set the fire!" Patricia quickly added and Tessa swallowed hard. Not exactly the best thing ya could have said too, but she'd take that over Carol's two suggestions any day of the week. Her eyes connected with Ethan's and her son pursed his lips as well. He was lingering by Beth, who in turn, was lingering around him as well and Tessa allowed it to happen. Hell, Ethan was probably the one person who guaranteed Beth a ticket to survival.

"Ethan, hold down the fort, okay?" Tessa asked him and he nodded as Tessa corralled Lori and Carol outside. She did it partly to give Lori some fresh air to breath, but also because she had lost sight of Daryl.

"He's not in the cellar or the attic," Lori told her and Carol nodded as Lori turned her tear-stained eyes onto Tessa.

"Why can't he listen for once?" She asked him and Tessa shrugged as she quickly found Daryl, letting out a breath of relief as she did so. Wonderful – he was still alive!

"Okay, okay, if he followed his daddy, then he went that way . . ." Lori muttered, more to herself than to the other two, as she marched down the porch. Tessa and Carol immediately followed her at a quick pace, Carol gazing after Lori weakly as Tessa's eyes remained glued on Daryl.

"No, you'll lead 'em right to him!" Carol told her before turning to Tessa, where she latched onto her arm. "Tess, we can't stay here, you know this!"

"But that's my boy -!"

"I don't know if that's what Daryl wants right now!" Tessa told her as the both of them ignored Lori's tearful outburst and Carol shook her head.

"You're gonna have to trust, Lori! If we find him, he's gonna need his mother!" She turned back to Tessa then. "And look at them – they're losing! We've _got to go_! Daryl and the others, if they don't notice us moving out and back us up, will find us later!" Tessa pursed her lips and thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Fine – go get the others – I'll worry about Lori!" Carol nodded as she ducked back inside the farmhouse, leaving Tessa and Lori outside on the porch. The two women scanned the field of walkers for their men and when neither of them found them, tears filled their eyes again.

"We're gonna find them, right, Tess?" Lori asked and Tessa swallowed hard and nodded.

"It's Rick and Daryl, Lori. It'll take more than a herd of walkers to kill those tough sons-of-bitches!"

"I hope . . ." The both of them added meekly at the end, neither one of them caring to know who deigned to speak the words first.

* * *

"Go – we gotta go!"

"Stay behind me!"

"Beth – come on!"

Lori, Tessa and Ethan's voices were the only ones their small group heard as they made their way down the steps of the porch. Lori and Ethan fired guns over their shoulders the entire time, trying to keep the walkers off of them as they jogged towards the woods, where they hoped to lose them there. Ethan had an arm around Beth's waist, keeping her moving as Patricia clung to the younger girl's arm.

"_Ethan_ -!"

Beth's shriek made his heart stop in his chest and he twirled around, just in time to see a walker football tackle Patricia. Beth, still clinging to the older woman's hand, stood by, tears filling her big blue eyes as the walker sunk its teeth down into her neck. Ethan glanced behind him, saw his mother and Lori continue on, completely unaware that they were no longer following them.

He let out a curse as he wrapped his arms around Beth's waist and pulled her back. "Ethan, what are you doing – Ethan stop it!"

"Beth – she's gone – let go of her!"

Beth let out a sob and shook her head as she held stubbornly onto Patricia, even as more walkers grouped around the older woman and sunk their teeth into her. The sounds of tearing flesh could be heard and Ethan felt himself being dragged to the ground with Beth as Patricia iron-clad grip on the young girl drug her down with her, even with his heels digging stubbornly into the grass.

"Beth – _let go_!" Ethan spoke, his voice coming out hard as he reached out and grasped their hands. With fingers grown strong by constantly drawing back a bow and stringing his father's crossbow, he pried their fingers away from each other's, Beth sobbing out a 'damn you' as he did so.

When they were finally no longer holding on to each other, Ethan re-wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her off in a direction away from them, not caring where they were going just as long as they were going away from them.

His heart soon began a frantic pounding in his chest, though, when he realized that he had lost sight of Lori and his mother.

His mother . . .

Oh God – where was _his mother_?

"Tessa – _Tessa_! Ethan – where's ya momma?"

Ethan let out an intensely relieved groan when he heard his father shouting at him over the roar of the flames coming from the barn and the moan of the walkers. Beth still sobbed quietly and the youngest Dixon weakly shrugged his shoulders, his eyes wide with fear as his arms tightened around Beth's back. He made his way over to him, immediately noticing that Daryl was covered in walker blood, his eyes wide with fear when he saw that Tessa wasn't with them. Where _was _she? He had _told _Ethan to look after her!

Fear continued to thump in Ethan's heart as well when he saw the same emotion flickering in Daryl's eyes as he straddled Merle's idling Harley. "I-I sorry, deddy, but I don't know! A walker grabbed ahold of Patricia and when I was pulling Beth away, we lost her – her and Lori! One minute she was in my sights and the next, I lost her!" He shook his head as he took a step towards his father, his arms temporarily leaving Beth. Thankfully, she remained standing there, her arms moving to cross insecurely in front of her chest. "Deddy . . . w-what if they got swamped? W-what if they -?" Daryl vehemently shook his head, successfully cooling his anger towards his son somewhat. He needed to keep a level head and remember that in such a situation, it would have been easy for them to get separated.

"Don' think like that, son! Ya think like that now and she's already dead!" He rubbed his lips with his hand for a moment, his brain quickly thinking about what to do. Finally, he turned his eyes back onto his son and gestured towards Glenn and Maggie, who had recently stopped their car to take a few shots at the lumbering walkers. "Take Beth to safety and then go cover for Glenn and Maggie. I'll look fer ya momma!" Ethan nodded and turned to go, but Daryl reached forward and took a firm grasp of his upper arm. Ethan turned around to face him and Daryl saw the tears ghosting his eyes. "I promise ya, Ethan, that I'll bring ya momma back safe and sound – ya momma _and _ya little brother or sister!"

* * *

Lori and Tessa didn't think when T-Dog and Andrea sped up in front of them in the blue truck, Andrea hopping out and immediately giving them cover. They had lost sight of Ethan and Beth and no matter how hard Tessa kept telling herself that Ethan would be fine – that he would get them out of this because he was Daryl Dixon's son, she still felt her heart pound away in her chest, nonetheless. This was her _son _– this was her only child until the one she carried decided to be born and it was _agony _wondering if he was okay – if he was alive or-or . . .

She forced herself to stop thinking such poisonous thoughts as those and forced herself to focus on getting themselves out of this predicament although she now fully understood and recognized how Lori was feeling at the moment, not knowing if Carl was dead or alive – not knowing if Rick was dead or alive too . . .

That was right . . . she had lost sight of Daryl too, hadn't she?

Tessa felt weak as Lori quickly helped her into the truck before climbing in herself. "Go help Carol – she's over there!" She heard Lori tell Andrea but that was about it. She felt numb inside . . . she had lost sight of both her son and the man she loved . . . were they even alive?

"Tessa . . . Tessa, ya can't think like that!" T-Dog told her gently, seemingly reading her mind - or her facial expressions or her eyes. "Ya gotta stay alert! If we find them, we'll stop for them, okay?" He promised her and Tessa shot him a grateful smile as Lori closed the door. Their eyes connected, they swallowed hard at the same time and then their hands clasped tightly together. Hell, Tessa wouldn't have been surprised if they weren't both praying at the same time.

* * *

"Are you guys okay? Ethan, where's Tessa?"

Ethan shrugged weakly at Glenn's words as Beth opened the backseat door of the car Glenn and Maggie were using and climbed inside, Ethan and Glenn giving them cover. He slid in seconds later, closing the door behind them. He shook his head and shrugged. Tears filled his eyes as he slid his fingers into his hair, where he gripped them by the locks. He sat there for a minute, trying his damndest not to cry. His father was alive, thank God, but that was because Daryl Dixon was damn near invincible! His mother, on the other hand . . .

"Holy _fuckin' _shit - I hope to Hell that she's alright!" He muttered as he shook his head and Glenn shot him a look as Maggie looked into the rear-view mirror and saw the blue truck retreating.

"Where are they going?" She asked and Glenn looked behind them. "Are they retreating?"

"I'd say yes . . ." Glenn told her and Ethan swallowed hard as Maggie followed them. He turned his gaze onto the outside world and saw his father driving around, roaring Tessa's name as he searched almost desperately for her. Tears filled his eyes again and he fought to hold them back, but the dam was building up just too much pressure.

He jumped when Beth's hand slid into his and when he turned to glance at her, he saw a small, comforting, but yet partially defeated smile playing out on her features. "It'll be alright . . . I promise." She told him and he nodded as he squeezed her hand with his.

"I hope so . . . I so fuckin' hope so!"

* * *

"Tessa - _Tessa_!"

Daryl's heart pounded in his chest and then jumped up into his throat intermittently as he drove around, frantically searching for her. His eyes wandered over the countless bodies lying motionless on the ground, making sure they weren't hers but no matter how many times he tried shouting for her and tried looking for her, it was to no avail.

She was gone.

"Shit – _fuckin', Goddamn, shit_!" Daryl cursed, feeling the bitter sting of tears enter his eyes as he spun the bike around and headed after the other two cars that were hightailing it. He hoped they had the good sense enough to make it back towards the highway – where they had first stopped seemingly ages ago.

A scream met his ears seconds later and he almost flipped the bike swinging it around to see who it was. He hoped to Hell it was Tessa but when he saw it was Carol, his heart deflated again. He let out a curse as he swung around and rode to meet her, hoping to Hell that Tessa was already off the farm.

He swore to God . . . if he ended up leaving her behind because of _Carol_ . . .

He shook the thoughts from his head. He had left her with Lori and Ethan and the others had been constantly patrolling the yard. Odds were that she was already off the farm – very _good _odds, in fact. However, hadn't Carol been a part of the group that he had left her with? He hoped she had, had enough sense to stay with Lori and not Carol.

"Come on – I ain' got all day!" Daryl shouted towards her and Carol gave him a grateful smile as she hustled to get on the bike behind him. "Did ya see Tess?" He shouted to her and she nodded as her arms tightened around his waist.

"She and Lori got in the truck with T-Dog and they sped off after Maggie and Glenn." She told him and Daryl heart immediately lifted. She was safe.

He would see her again.


	33. Chapter 33

**Okay, here's the thing. I plan on making this the last chapter of Season 2. Now here's what I need you guys to do since no one has bothered reviewing or PM'ing me their view. I created a poll (you can find it on my profile) on whether or not you guys want me to continued Season 3 in this story, just make another part (ex. Seasons 1&2 were Part One, Season 3 would be Part 2) or create a sequel story based on Season 3. I will keep the poll open for a few days, allow enough votes to get up and then at the end of the few days, I'll upload either Part 2 of this story or a little Author's Note telling you guys that the sequel story is up. **

* * *

"Oh my God . . . Oh my God . . ."

Maggie's murmured words were the only things filling the air of the car as they drove down the dirt road towards the highway – or towards what Ethan _hoped _was the highway.

He was slouched against the window, feeling as numb and as dead to the world as his father surely felt (if his father had even survived) with Beth tucked in against his side, her eyes dull and lifeless as well as his arm hung limply around her shoulders. In fact, they all felt dull and lifeless. Their entire lives had just come crashing to the ground before them in a fiery inferno. Glenn was the only one who seemed even remotely like he was keeping it together and that his brain was still working.

"Alright, let's just . . . let's just circle back to the highway." He finally spoke with a definite nod and the look of disbelief on Maggie's face was almost comical if they had been in the mood to laugh.

"Did you guys see dad?" She asked them. "Did-did he make it?" Ethan gave a weak shrug as Beth deigned not to answer. Every movement seemed excruciating in its effort to make, including talking. The two of them marveled at how Maggie and Glenn found the strength to do it. "Did you guys see him – did any one of you?"

Glenn closed his eyes and shook his head. "I couldn't see anything." He finally told her and fresh tears filled her eyes.

"We've got to go back there." She spoke and Glenn shook his head.

"We can't go back – there's nothing to go back to!"

"But what about our dad?" She asked, referring to her and Beth and Glenn shook his head, suddenly finding himself weary. "What about Patricia and Jimmy?"

"Patricia didn't make it . . ." Ethan finally spoke, his voice coming out soft and quiet and Maggie glanced behind her at him, stricken as Beth closed her eyes and sucked in a harsh breath that was about to border on a sob, her arms tightening around Ethan slightly.

"What do you mean?" Ethan turned a dull look onto her.

"I mean that she's dead. That or she's a walker. A couple of walkers grabbed her when we were running from the house – I stopped to pull Beth away from them before they could latch onto her and when I had her free, momma and Lori were gone," He gave a shrug. "I don' know about Jimmy." Maggie shook her head.

"What if they didn't make it – Jimmy and dad? What if nobody made it?"

"They made it out, okay?" Glenn assured her gently and Maggie shook her head. "They had to! All right, let's just circle around to the highway where we left supplies for Sophia." Maggie, tears running down her cheeks, shook her head.

"No, the herd came from that direction." Glenn gazed at her for a moment before quietly asking her to stop the car. Maggie sniffled and nodded as they pulled the car to a stop in the middle of the road. Ethan and Beth watched numbly as Glenn and Maggie quickly switched seats so that Glenn could take over the driving of the car. Maggie started sobbing and Glenn shushed her gently.

"Hey, Maggie, look at me – _look_ at me!" She nodded and did as she was told. "Hey, we're alive – we made it! Okay? I'm sure they are too. Daryl would not have let anyone be left behind – _especially _Tessa!" He cast a glanced behind him at Ethan as he said that and saw his friend's lips purse slightly. Maggie nodded then, fighting to hold back the tears.

Then, as Glenn told Maggie he loved her, Ethan vaguely wondered if he would ever hear his parents tell each other that again and developed a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

"We've got to turn around."

T-Dog gave Lori a slightly confused look over Tessa's head as she sat there against the passenger side door, her arm hooked around a still dazed Tessa's shoulders. "You want us to go straight back to that herd?" He asked and Lori glanced at him. For once, she had to be the strong one of the two friends and already, it was starting to take its toll on her otherwise fragile psyche. They were both in the same boat – her and Tessa. Both might be looking at a future without their sons and their husbands – raising a child alone and having to go through childbirth alone. The future looked bleak for them and for once, Lori was keeping her head and not Tessa. T-Dog shook his head. "Um, how about a no?"

"Look, the highway is back there. That's where they'll be," She told him. "If anyone survived, they'll be there! Rick and Daryl and Glenn will go back to where we first broke down." T-Dog shook his head again.

"We're headed east. We're getting to the coast and we should have done that from the jump," He glanced at them. "Look, I'm sorry for you two's losses, but we've got a shot of getting out of here in one piece!"

"I've got to find Carl and Rick – they might have escaped with somebody. Hell, _look _at Tessa! She's _got _to find Ethan and Daryl!"

"Look, I hate to say it, but they're on their own! There's no way to even begin to start looking -!"

"Tessa – what the Hell are you-?"

T-Dog came to an abrupt halt with Tessa gritted her teeth together and after withdrawing the hunting knife she always kept in her boot, lunged at him, the sharp point moving so close to the skin of his jugular that she could practically shave him at the root. T-Dog froze as Lori grabbed at her, attempting to pull her back down but she wasn't about to move. Her cold eyes were pinned on the man's driving as he screeched the truck to a stop, and she shook her head.

"You might wanna rethink that decision, T-Dog," She advised him quietly. "Because I can tell you right now that we are _going _back to the highway and I am _going _to find my son and his father. And if you don't agree with that, then I will be more than happy to slit your throat, kick your body out of this truck and then leave you behind to drown in your own pool of blood. Just because you couldn't keep your wife from committing suicide back at the CDC doesn't mean that you can condemn other people's loved ones."

"Look, Tess, we can't go back!" He told her quickly, his eyes quickly searching out hers. They moved away, however, when he saw no shred of humanity left in them. This woman wasn't kidding. "It's suicide!"

"What would you know about suicide?" Tessa asked him, her voice coming out quick as well but scarily level. "Jacqui left you - I get it and I know that must hurt. But if you don't take me and Lori back to the highway right now, regardless if they are alive or not, then the first time we stop, I'm either putting a bullet in my head or this knife through my heart because I don't even wanna begin to continue to go through this Hell without Daryl and Ethan – pregnant or not!

* * *

Tessa's eyes immediately filled with tears as T-Dog stopped the truck across from Rick's and Maggie's SUV. The tears filled her eyes as she saw Ethan stumble out of the back, tears filling his eyes as well. "Oh my God – _Ethan_!" Tessa called out as her son ran towards her. She pulled him tightly into her arms seconds later and held him close for a minute, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Momma, I'm so sorry – I'm so, _so_ sorry I lost sight of you!" He cried and Tessa shook her head, a watery grin spreading across her face as they parted and she moved aside a lock of her son's black hair before pressing a loving kiss to his forehead.

"Don't be sorry, baby, don't ever be sorry! You saved Beth – _I _should have been the one paying attention to you!" She looked away then, scanning the people behind him and he saw her face blanch slightly.

"Daryl – where's Daryl?" Ethan shrugged weakly and Tessa turned a wide-eyed stare onto him. "He's not with you – he didn't go with you?" Ethan shook his head.

"He told me and Beth to get to Glenn and Maggie and then he went looking for you. I lost him after that momma, I'm sorry!"

Tessa's eyes filled with fresher tears then and she felt like her heart had turned into a lead weight and had plummeted straight down into her stomach. She had her son but where was Daryl? _Where _the _Hell _was Daryl?

The sound of a running bike pierced through the silence and Tessa felt her heart leap up back into her throat as she turned around. Slowly, like some horrible gushy scene in some shitty romance movie, she saw Daryl driving Merle's bike with Carol sitting behind him, down the highway towards them. Their eyes immediately connected and the look of relief that echoed in those beautiful blue depths of his eyes made her want to sob out again, something that she immediately did.

"Holy _shit_, Daryl – thank God you're alright!" She breathed out as he quickly drove through the grassy median separating the two sides of the road. Without even cutting off the engine, Daryl kicked down the kickstand and with eyes full of tears, dismounted from the bike and made a beeline towards her, Tessa doing the same.

"Oh thank fuckin' God ya'll alright!" He muttered gruffly and tearfully as he pulled her into a fiercely protective embrace, his hands immediately flying to cradle her stomach. They quickly made sure she was okay - that she was free of bite or scratch before they moved from her belly to cup her behind the head, where he bent down slightly so that their foreheads touched. One of his hands slid into her hair as the other curved around the small of her back as he closed his eyes and swallowed around the lump that had been steadily forming in his throat the entire time before he kissed her long and deep. "Tess, if ya had died . . ." He wordlessly shook his head. "Unless I had Ethan, then I wouldn' have been far behind ya! I've already killed a man for ya - what's one more and who cares if it's me?" Tessa laughed and shook her head as Daryl parted from her, only to take Ethan into his arms in a tight embrace. Ethan clung to him almost as much as Carl was clinging to Lori, Daryl closing his eyes as he held his son to him and as he pulled Tessa back into his arms. He had almost lost them . . . he had almost lost _her_!

Beth and Maggie ran into Hershel's arms as well as Rick continued to embrace both Lori and Carl. "Where are the rest of us?" Daryl asked after a moment, still holding Tessa and Ethan close (he swore to God he wouldn't ever let them out of his sight again!). Rick gave a weak shrug.

"We're the only ones who made it so far." He told him as Lori got to her feet, her eyes settling onto Rick's.

"What about Shane?" Rick shook his head and the look on Lori's face was almost indecipherable as Glenn glanced around at them.

"Andrea?"

"She saved me and then I lost her." Carol spoke up, her voice quiet.

"We saw her go down." T-Dog spoke and Tessa and Lori nodded as Daryl's arm wrapped more snugly around Tessa's waist as Ethan gently pried himself out of his father's grip.

"Patricia?" Hershel was the next to speak, and Beth and Ethan shook their heads.

"They got her too," Beth told him after a heavy swallow. "Took her right from me – Ethan saved me!" She glanced back at him and Ethan smiled a small smile as Daryl gently ruffled his hair and murmured a 'Good boy'. "I was – I was holdin' onto her, Daddy. She just . . ." She finally broke down into sobs then and Hershel hugged his daughter close as Maggie's lips pursed with emotion. Then, finally, she took her face out of his chest and turned them onto his eyes, hers wide and wet with hope. "What about Jimmy?" She asked finally. "Did you see Jimmy?" Rick nodded.

"He was in the RV and helped us get down from the hayloft of the barn after we set it on fire. It got overrun - quite quickly, too." He told her and Beth immediately let out another sob as she reburied her face in her father's side. Ethan tensed but Daryl's firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. Then was not the time.

"You definitely saw Andrea?" Carol asked, and T-Dog nodded as Lori sighed.

"There were walkers everywhere."

"Did you see her?"

Everyone stayed silent then and Daryl sighed. "I'm gonna go back -"

"No the _fuck _you ain't!"

He immediately froze, as did everyone else when he tried to leave and Tessa snapped back at him shrilly. Eyes wide with rage and ebony hair tousled, she looked like the personification of a fiery rage. She shook her head. "I almost _lost _you, Daryl Dixon! I almost lost you and Ethan almost lost you! Our _baby _almost lost you!" She shook her head. "You go out there again and you better not come back because I will be _through _with you!"

Daryl stood there and blinked at her in shock for a moment before she shook her head, her look of rage crumbling in favor of a look of tearful weakness. She shook her head again and Ethan sighed as he placed a gentle hand on her back. "Momma, we can't . . . we can't just leave her!"

"We don't even know if she's there!" Tessa snapped back at her son in anger, tears filling her eyes again. "And I refuse to just sit here and worry myself half to death because _he _had to be a hero and go find her!" The words felt like hot acid being thrown on him and Daryl shook his head weakly as he took a step towards her. He opened his mouth to say something but Rick interrupted him.

"Tessa's right, she isn't there," Rick agreed with a finite nod. "She isn't, Daryl. She's somewhere else or she's _dead_! There's no way to find her."

"So we're not even gonna go look for her?" Glenn asked as Daryl moved back over to Tessa. He pulled her back into his arms in a tight embrace and she punched him for a moment before eventually sagging against his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks as her back heaved in silent sobs.

"We gotta keep moving," Rick spoke. "There have been walkers crawling all over here since we got here."

"I say head we head east." T-Dog spoke and Daryl nodded in agreement as he patted Ethan on the shoulder before gesturing to the walker lumbering its way over to them. Tessa still wasn't allowing him to break away from her and he suspected that she wouldn't for a long time.

"We should stay off of the main roads. The bigger the roads are, the more walkers that are prolly roamin' 'em." He spoke and Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, I got him, deddy." He replied as he picked up his father's already strung crossbow and fired it. It pierced the walker right between the eyes and the heavy body fell to the pavement dead. He went to fetch the arrow as everyone fell silent, including Tessa. It was as if Daryl himself had done it.

And for some reason, that made everyone feel infinitely better.

* * *

They weren't long down the road before gas became an issue.

They had turned down a stretch of side road and not long after, they heard the honk of Rick's truck bringing up the rear. Daryl immediately pulled over, Glenn doing the same with the SUV. Bike still running, Daryl and Tessa turned around at the waists to watch as everyone exited their vehicles and Rick and the others quickly moved up to join them.

"Baby, turn it off . . ." Tessa murmured, patting him on the side as she spoke, and Daryl nodded as he did as he was told and allowed her to get off the bike before turning around at the waist again to watch as Rick approached them.

"You out?" He asked and Rick nodded.

"Been running on fumes for God only knows how many miles." He answered and Daryl cursed under his breath.

"Well, we can't stay here." Maggie quickly spoke up, rifle in her hands and Glenn shrugged.

"We all can't fit in one car, though." He replied and Rick shook his head.

"We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning."

"You mean spend the night here?" Carol was the one who spoke next, her arms moving to cross in front of her chest and Carl nodded as he shivered slightly.

"I'm freezing."

"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori asked as she rubbed Carl's chest through his maroon colored sweatshirt and Daryl glanced at Tessa as Ethan moved to join them.

"Ya guys go out lookin' for firewood, ya stay close, okay?" He spoke up as he bent down to pull out his crossbow and jacket. He handed the jacket to Tessa before slinging the crossbow around his shoulder. She pulled on the heavy leather jacket as Daryl turned back to Rick. "I only got so many arrows. How are ya on bullets?" Rick pursed his lips as he moved to stand beside him.

"Not enough. What about you?" Daryl nodded in agreement and it was Rick's turn to curse under his breath as he turned to face everyone again.

"Well we can't just sit here with our asses hanging out!" Maggie spoke up again and Hershel shot his daughter a reprimanding look.

"Watch your mouth," He told her and Daryl fought to roll his eyes as he turned to face the woods, his keen eyes scanning the surrounding tree line for walkers. When he was content that he didn't see any, he turned back to the group. Tessa was the same with Ethan, though, always telling him to watch his mouth but as far as Daryl was concerned, there were a lot more dangerous things to worry about in this new, fucked up, twisted world, than your child's language – especially when that child was Maggie's age. Of course, Tessa was starting to grow out of it and starting to not mind the Dixon mouth that was almost inevitable for Ethan to grow into and for that, Daryl was thankful. It put her mind on more important things – like surviving from day to day. "Everyone should stop panicking and listen to Rick."

Rick nodded. "All right, we'll set up a perimeter," He began. "In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on."

"Glenn and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas." Maggie suggested and Rick shook his head.

"No, we stay together. God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car."

"Rick, we're stranded now." Glenn reminded him gently and Rick pursed his lips again.

"Look, I know it looks back and we've all been through Hell and worse, but at least we found each other!" His eyes lingered on Tessa and Daryl's then and they swallowed hard and nodded in agreement. They had. They didn't know what they would have done if they didn't (in fact, the both of them were pretty sure it involved bullets in the head, but like they were about to tell them that!). "I wasn't sure – I mean, I really wasn't – but we _did_! We're _together_! Now, we need to keep it that way." Everyone nodded at that as Rick continued. "We'll find shelter somewhere – there's gotta be a place."

Glenn sighed. "Rick, look around. Okay? There are walkers everywhere – they're migrating or something, I don't know, but it's not safe to stay in one place for long!"

"There's gotta be a place not just where we hole up, but that we fortify and hunker down and pull ourselves together - where we build a life for each other!" He shook his head, his words getting more and more passionate as they continued on. "I know it's out there, we just have to _find it_!" Lori and Tessa's eyes connected then when he finished speaking, as did Daryl and Rick's and it was like something unspoken transferred between the four of them. Not one of them wanted Lori and Tessa giving birth on the road – in some ditch somewhere or in the back of some car or truck, even though it sounded pretty inevitable. They wanted somewhere stable and somewhere safe for them to hunker down and give birth and then rest and despite the silence that pervaded everyone, they could tell that the others were thinking the same thing.

"Even if we do find a place and we think it's safe, we can never be sure," Maggie spoke up, her voice soft and determined to be even. "For how long will we be able to stay there? Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that it was safe – that it would always _be _safe."

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel promised her and there was a brief silence before Rick began talking again, his voice calmer.

"We'll make camp tonight, over there," He told them, pointing to the cobble-stoned ruins of something. "We'll get on the road at the break of day."

"Does this feel right to you guys?" Carol asked Daryl and Tessa, her arms still crossed in front of her chest and before either of them could answer, Beth walked up to Rick.

"What if walkers come through?" She asked him. "Or another group like Randall's?"

"Ya know that we found Randall, right?" Daryl suddenly spoke up, his eyes finding Rick's and holding his attention. "He had turned but he hadn' been bit." Rick stayed silent at his words and everyone could tell that a new air had taken over him. Beth gazed at him slightly apprehensively.

"How's that possible?" She asked and Lori nodded.

"Rick, what the Hell happened out there?"

"Shane killed Randall," Daryl spoke for him. "Jus' like he always wanted to."

"And then the herd got him?" Lori asked, her voice taking on a certain edge that Tessa immediately noticed. Rick glanced at her before settling into a deep silence. Eventually, when he finally spoke, his voice was hard and quiet, a voice that not one of them liked.

"We're all infected." He glanced back at Lori then and the stricken look that crossed her face made him want to gag. Tessa felt a lump start to build up in her throat and immediately sought out Daryl. His hand grasped her and he pulled her into his side, his arm reflexively wrapping around her waist.

"Excuse me?" She asked and Daryl nodded in agreement as his arm tightened ever-so-slightly on her waist.

"Yeah, what do ya mean, Rick?"

"At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it."

Everyone descended into another harsh, awkward silence and Tessa could feel the anger quickly flooding through Daryl's body as he tensed beside her. "And you never said anything?" Carol immediately asked.

"Would it have made a difference?" He asked with a wry laugh and Tessa shook her head.

"Did you know this whole time, Rick?" She asked and Rick shot her a slightly pleading look.

"How could I have known for sure? You saw how crazy that mo -"

"That was not your call!" Glenn interrupted him, his voice getting angry as well. Daryl stayed silent but his eyes stayed locked on Rick and Tessa's grip on him tightened slightly. "When I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told, for the good of everyone."

"Well, using that logic, I thought it was best that people didn't know." He replied testily and immediately after he spoke, it was like someone had lit a fuse underneath them. Everyone stayed quiet but the look of betrayal shining in a lot of eyes were like daggers in his chest, especially the one that Lori sent him.

Daryl heaved a sigh and took Tessa's hand, where he pulled her away, Tessa readily complying as Lori took off after Rick. "Oh my God, Daryl, what if . . . what if . . ." Tessa trailed off in horror as he continued to drag her off and when he stopped and made sure that their conversation could not be overheard, he finally turned his eyes onto hers. She could see the apprehension and fear that flickered through his eyes as well at this most recent news and she shook her head. "What if . . . what if our baby ends up dying, Daryl? What if . . ." She forced herself to stop and collect herself before speaking again. "What if our baby dies in the womb and-and . . ." She blanched in fear at what she was proposing and Daryl immediately shook his head as he brought her closer to him.

"No, don' think tha' way, babydoll! Tha's impossible – it could never happen -!"

"How do you _know _that?" She interrupted him, her eyes wide with fear. "How do you _know _that could never happen? Look at history – how many babies have died in the womb and were born stillborn before modern prenatal care? How many babies were _born _stillborn before modern medicine?" She shook her head. "What if the baby is born stillborn and it . . . it comes back? What if it bites someone – what if it bites _me_?" Her eyes, which had remained wide, filled with another emotion, one that it took Daryl a moment to decipher. "Will you be able to kill our baby, Daryl? Because let me tell you, I wouldn't want anyone to kill that baby except for the people that created it - _us_!" Her eyes scanned his face, desperately searching it for something. "So would you be able to do it, Daryl? Would you really?"

Daryl simply returned her gaze for a moment and after finally coming to the decision that even though he could do a lot of fucked up things in this new world, that he would _never_, in a million _years_, be able to hold his walker baby in his arms and put a bullet through its head, gave a weak, wordless shrug of defeat. Tears immediately filled her eyes and as she collapsed in his arms, sobbing anew for a completely different, but all-together more frightening reason, Lori and Rick were getting into yet another horrible fight.


	34. Chapter 34

**Okay, before you guys start panicking, the poll _is_ still open (I double-checked, it _is _now located on my profile) so you guys hustle and get your little butts over to my profile and vote! I'm not gonna be able to deliver Season 3 to you guys until you do, which means that this story is on a temporary hiatus until I get more votes i.e more feedback from my fans on where this story should go! SO, until I have enough votes, I wrote this little "epilogue" you could say, that kinda bridges the gap between them leaving the farm and them showing up in Spring at the rundown house in the first episode of Season 3. I'm also introducing some pretty important OCs, so please, pay attention! There is also a little bit of Tessa/Daryl fluff in this chapter too, so you anti-fluff people have been warned!**

**So, without further ado, please, read, REVIEW (I am on review withdrawals, guys!) and then get your asses over to my profile and vote! Please? :(**

**HaloHunter89 - Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do - mold Ethan into a little miniature Daryl. I think its kinda cute :)**

**And as always, thank you HermioneandMarcus for reviewing and your continued patronage :)**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - Have I mentioned that this is also probably my favorite chapter that I have written?**

* * *

_Early to Mid-Winter_

_Somewhere in Eastern Georgia . . ._

Tessa shivered violently as one of her arms moved to wrap more snugly around Daryl's waist while the other curled around her growing stomach between them. The engine of Merle's bike – the bike that was still going strong, even then and in such frigid weather – hummed comfortingly beneath her and she could almost feel Daryl's heartbeat beneath his heavy jacket and his leathers. She heard Maggie's SUV and Rick's truck running behind them over the rushing of the cold wind and noticed that the sun had almost began its descent over the horizon. They would need to be finding shelter soon.

They heard the roaring of an engine and watched as Rick's truck turned into the parallel lane and then sped up to them. The window rolled down and Rick leaned on his arm on the open window for a moment. "Hey, there's an abandoned hotel a few miles up. We're gonna stop there for the night, okay?" He called to them and Daryl silently nodded as Rick slowed in order to fall back in line, his window quickly rolling back up as he did so. Daryl heaved a sigh as Tessa shivered again. There was heat in the cars but they used it sparingly because of the scarcity of gas. They didn't have any heat on the bike and Tessa had to admit that sometimes it sucked – _bad_. But then she thought of the abandoned hotel they were now driving towards and her heart warmed somewhat. No electricity meant absolutely no heat but a hotel also meant plenty of blankets if they hadn't all been looted yet . . . and even then, she'd give anything for heat but she'd also take the chance of possibly having a million threadbare blankets at her disposal too.

"Guess we got a choice between stayin' at a Best Western or a Holiday Inn, babydoll . . ." Daryl yelled back at her and Tessa's eyes squinted against the cold wind as she took in the faded green road side on the side of the road that listed the two hotel chains underneath the bold white lettering, "Hotels". She grinned and shook her head.

"Ya know me, Daryl - I only sleep at Holiday Inns. They have the least amount of walkers on vacation – something having to do with their rates, I think?" She told him and could hear Daryl laugh as they turned off on the exit, slowing down when they came to a particularly tight cluster of cars clogging the turnpike. After carefully navigating between them, finding a path for the SUV and truck as they did so, they finally turned into the Holiday Inn's parking lot (the Best Western was deemed too rundown and unstable).

After stopping the cars and quickly unloading their stuff, they managed to find an unlocked door leading into the hotel. They quickly moved to the lobby and after making a quick sweep to make sure there were no walkers on the first floor (shockingly) they regrouped in the lobby. Rick nodded as he gestured down each of the corridors, heaving a weary sigh as he did so. "I suppose any room is up for grabs, but stick close to the lobby, okay? Cluster the rooms together too, don't spread out. We don't know if there are any walkers on the above floors or if we are completely alone too." Everyone nodded as they went their separate ways, Tessa's arm moving around Ethan's shoulders as they immediately moved off to seek a room.

They found their room by the emerald green colored and moss-covered pool and by all estimation it seemed like one of the cleaner ones too, if not extremely dusty. After placing his bags on one of the beds, Ethan left the room to go check on the others, Daryl watching him go as he threw his bag on the other bed beside hers. Tessa was shivering as she quickly unzipped her bag and withdrew another jacket, where she pulled it on. It was as she expected – it was freezing in the hotel but after moving over to the nearby closest and opening it, Daryl immediately grinned and tossed a glance her way.

"Yup, there's practically a fuckin' goldmine of blankets in the closest! Not-to-mention we've got the other rooms too in case ya want to encase me in a damn sauna tonight!" He told her and Tessa grinned as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Thank God – I'm freezing!" She told him and Daryl nodded in agreement as he withdrew the entire stack and after halving it and placing one half on Ethan's bed, moved to place the other half on their bed. They were thick blankets, not exactly made of the expensive stuff but not exactly airline material either. She gazed at them longingly for a moment and he gave her another glance.

"How ya doin', babydoll? Are ya fuckin' freezin' yet?"

Tessa tried to grin and laugh but neither was going to happen, so she simply nodded her head instead. "I can't . . . I can't feel my face from riding on the back of that bike all damn day!" She told him teasingly and Daryl chuckled as he returned to their bags. He started shifting through them in search of his pistol and when he found it, he checked the chamber and made sure it was loaded and the safety was on before he gently set it down on the dusty bedside table sitting between the two double beds. He shook his head in playful bemusement.

"I keep tellin' ya tha' ya need to ride in one of the cars with the others from now on, babydoll, especially in ya current state -!"

"Yeah, and leave your ass at the mercy of _Carol_? Fuck that up the ass!" She muttered slightly condescendingly as she turned her gaze elsewhere, lest he see the scowl on her face. She could see Daryl grin through the slight gloom as he let out a bark of a laugh. He had indeed saw the scowl.

"Ya still don' trust her none?" Tessa scoffed.

"After that shit she said at camp a few months back when we first left the farm? Fuck no - I trust her just about as much as I need to!" She told him before she shook her head. Daryl took a seat beside her on the bed as she continued: "I'm smart enough to know that she's probably going to be the one that is going to help deliver our baby, Daryl, since we no longer have Patricia with us. So until then, I have to bridle my tongue somewhat. I still didn't appreciate the way she called you Rick's "henchman", though."

"Well then, why didn' ya say anythin'? Didn' seem like ya to jus' take that layin' down." He asked her and Tessa shot him a glare.

"Like I said, Daryl, if she wasn't going to be the one helping Hershel deliver our baby, then you're damn right I would have said something! But since she is . . ." She trailed off as her body tensed then. She rolled her eyes as she settled a hand on her stomach, where she let out a grimace. Daryl nodded as his eyes flickered to hers.

"He's been active all day, hasn't he?" He asked and Tessa grinned and glanced at him, where he immediately returned the grin. It was a game they would often play, switching back and forth between 'he' and 'she' whenever they would talk about the baby. They wouldn't know the sex of the baby until it was born in three months, so until then, they could at least have some fun with it. She nodded.

"She loves it when we ride on the bike. She kicks and shifts up a storm whenever we do and its been going on all Goddamn day too! Makes it almost impossible for me to get even the lightest shuteye!" She told him and then grimaced again as the baby kicked her in the side before settling on her bladder. She rolled her eyes as her hand moved to her side and pressed gently, trying to get it to move. Of course it stubbornly stayed in the same place and she gave up with a defeated sigh as she leaned back on the bed, her hand moving to the place it had been earlier, when she first sat down. Her baby loved to constantly sit on her bladder, making her bathroom breaks very frequent, much to the chagrin and the slight irritation of the others. However, it was something that Lori understood quite well as well and even though her baby was nowhere near as active as hers was.

Daryl smiled as he slid his hand to cup her cheek and then turned her towards him, where he kissed her gently, lovingly. She returned the kiss and when they broke apart, he nuzzled her. "I'm just happy it's moving – that it's _safe_ . . .!" He whispered to her and she immediately couldn't help but nod in agreement. After their conversation at the campsite after Rick had told them that they were all infected, it had become an almost unspoken agreement between them never to bring such things up again. And rarely they did, however, occasionally it did happen and it was often enough to ruin both of their days or nights, depending on when it was brought up. Tessa sighed and shook her head, though, as she gently tried to pull herself out of Daryl's grasp. However, he wasn't letting her go and she turned a slightly incredulous look onto him.

"Daryl, we should go see if the others need our help with something . . .!"

"I know, Tess, I know, jus' . . . let me hold ya for a minute, okay? I haven' done it in a long time and I feel like we both need it!" He told her and Tessa nodded and allowed him to take her in his arms. He pulled her against him and she tucked her head into the crook of his neck as his hand settled on her still shifting stomach. She grimaced again but his warm hand on her belly seemed to settle their baby down slightly and it was then that they sat there for a moment, in complete silence, just relishing being alone in each other's company for once. Since they had been forced to leave the farm and start their near constant movement, they could hardly make time for each other. Every camp they pitched every night oftentimes entailed everyone sleeping together grouped around the campfire for as much warmth as they could muster, with the customary two people awake on watch. Understandably, it made alone time near impossible and while they made sure to touch and kiss whenever they could, sex had become a damn near Herculean feat! However, quite frankly, they were both so exhausted that they were afraid it wouldn't nearly be as satisfactory as it had been before!

Tessa couldn't help but let out a contented sigh then as she felt herself relax the longer they sat there. She chuckled. "You do realize that you hold me every night when we sleep, right? And that there's damn near nothing that I can do to prevent it, too?" She reminded him and Daryl returned the chuckle along with a nod.

"Yeah . . . yeah I know that, but . . ." He trailed off then before sighing and starting anew. "I'd 'ave to be a blind dumbass not to notice how distant Rick and Lori have become since we left the farm and I jus' . . . I want to make sure tha' we don' ever become like tha', ya know? And if preventin' tha' entails me holdin' ya for jus' five minutes every day to make sure tha' ya know tha' I love ya, then so be it. Hopefully, tho', it'll sometimes be longer than jus' five minutes, but still . . .!" He trailed off again with a chuckle before immediately noticing that Tessa's mannerisms had become somewhat somber.

"Rick knows that the baby is not his, Daryl," She told him, her voice becoming quiet. "He knows the baby is Shane's and Lori knows it as well. They might not admit it, but they know deep down inside. And then Lori sees how we act around each other and then she sees how Rick acts around her, which is the complete opposite and she . . . she can't understand that the reason is _because _Rick knows that the baby is not his. There is absolutely no doubt in your mind that you are our baby's father, Daryl. Rick, though . . ." She trailed off then and they entered another deep silence for a moment before Daryl heaved a sigh and gave her a slight, loving squeeze.

"And thank God I don' 'ave to worry 'bout my own child's paternity, too!" He told her before shaking his head. "I can' even begin to understand how Rick feels 'bout this whole thing!" Tessa nodded her head in agreement and opened her mouth to reply to him, however, they were interrupted by a quiet knock on their open door. They broke apart and turned to the door, only to see a softly smiling Ethan standing in the threshold.

"Sorry to interrupt ya guys' in ya scant alone time, but Rick wants us to go hunt before it gets too dark. We're runnin' low on meat." He told them and Daryl nodded as he pecked Tessa one last on the lips before gently but reluctantly disentangling himself from her, where he got to his feet.

"Ya gonna be alright?" He asked her, voice laced with concern, and she smiled lovingly and nodded as he took her hands and helped her to her feet as well.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll probably be in the lobby with the others until you return, so don't worry about me!" Her palms flattened out on his chest and she stood up on her tiptoes in order to kiss him deeper. She broke apart moments later and resettled back on her feet. "Return quickly, though. I want to eat and then I want to go to bed – I'm exhausted and so are you two!" She told them sternly after casting them both cursory, stern glares and they sighed good-naturedly and nodded as she followed them from the room.

"Yes, mother!" The two Dixons chimed in unison and Tessa rolled her eyes good-naturedly as they went their separate ways, Tessa towards the lobby and the others and Ethan and Daryl towards the door that led to the cold outside world, Daryl and her throwing lingering glanced at each other over their shoulders. She doubted they would find much game in this weather but they always ended up surprising her and everyone else.

The others had managed to start a fire in the lobby by the time she joined them, and it was already roaring and boisterous as she took a seat in-between Lori and Maggie. "Are Daryl and Ethan out hunting?" Lori asked her and Tessa nodded.

"Where's Rick and T-Dog?"

"They're with Glenn making sure the other floors are clear too." Maggie told her and she nodded again as they turned back to watch the fire. It left just them three sitting there with Carl, Carol, Beth and Hershel and they all sat in a semi-awkward silence for a moment before Tessa grimaced again, her hand reflexively flying to her side. Hershel immediately tensed up as did everyone else there, his eyebrows furrowing in immediate concern.

"Are you alright?" He asked and Tessa nodded and waved away his concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. She's been active all damn day with her kicking and her near constant shifting. It can just be alarming sometimes if I'm not expecting them." She laughed and Hershel nodded, calming slightly as Lori remained tensed beside her.

"Have you experienced any Braxton-Hicks yet?" He asked, and Tessa nodded.

"Yeah, a couple started last night, when we were all asleep. They've been coming occasionally since last month but they are never too bad; completely manageable, in fact. They did wake Daryl up and he had a little mini freak-out session but I could handle that as well." She assured him without another slight laugh and Hershel nodded again, his eyes moving onto Lori then. The woman sitting beside her remained slightly tensed and she purposefully avoided the old man's gaze. Tessa knew it was because Lori fully suspected her baby of being dead. While Tessa had felt her baby move within her as early as three months, Lori had yet to feel anything and it was already six months into their pregnancies.

"Can I feel it?" Carl asked, interest appearing on his face then. Tessa smiled and nodded as she gestured for him to settle beside her, Maggie immediately shifting aside to make room. Carl scrambled to sit beside her and she took his head and slowly moved it to where the baby's kicks could be felt the most. An immediate grin spread across his face when he felt the tiny movements against his palm.

"Do they hurt at all? They seem like they would hurt a little." He asked and Tessa grinned and gave a half-shrug, remembering how Daryl had asked that very same question seemingly so long ago but with infinitely more concern lacing his tone.

"Not really, but like I said, they can be alarming if I'm not prepared for them," Her eyes turned onto Beth's then watching with a slight interest, and she smiled. "You want to feel too, honey?" She asked her and Beth's eyes immediately lit up. She nodded and after giving Hershel a glance that he returned with a soft nod and a softer smile, she got her feet and moved closer to her as well. Carl's hand voluntarily left her as Tessa gently took up Beth's and then placed it in the same spot. Beth jumped slightly and let out a tiny little "Oh!" when she felt the movement and everyone grinned and gave little laughs at the young girl's reaction.

"I've never felt a baby kick before!" She spoke slightly in awe as she glanced up at her and Tessa laughed.

"Then I'm honored to be your first!" She told her and Beth returned the laugh. They sat there for a moment, Tessa gently shifting Beth, Carl and occasionally Maggie's hand in order to follow the movements of her baby and not one of them noticed when Rick, Glenn and T-Dog returned. Glenn returned to Maggie's side, a grin appearing on his face when he saw what they were doing, and T-Dog moved to place their weapons on the nearby front counter.

"Daryl and Ethan should be back any minute. We passed them going out and they said they'd be back in a few. They had already bagged themselves some rabbits and a squirrel or two." T-Dog told them and Lori nodded as she got to her feet and headed over to the bags in order to get their cooking and eating utensils ready, as well as whatever else they would need to prepare and eat the catch that night. Maggie quickly got to her feet and moved to help the older woman as Tessa remained where she was with Carl and Beth who were still ever-so-slightly sitting there in awe. Rick's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion as he moved to lean his rifle up against the nearby wall.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked and Carl immediately turned a bright gaze onto his father.

"Tessa's baby is moving somethin' fierce! We've been sitting here feeling it for a few minutes now – it's awesome!" He told him and Beth nodded in agreement as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Tessa grinned and laughed at the young boy and girl's enthusiasm and Rick nodded in understanding, his face becoming its usual expressionless self. Tessa nodded in agreement as she turned a slightly excited gaze onto him.

"You want to feel too? Hell, she's been moving enough today for everyone!" She asked with a light laugh and a look of slight surprise appeared on his face at her question. It quickly disappeared though and he nodded silently as Tessa got to her feet, Beth and Carl moving quickly out of the way as she approached him. Stopping once she was in front of him, she took his hand and moved to gently press it at the spot where the baby's kicks were now focused. She heard his sharp intake of breath and immediately let out a grin. "She loves it when I'm riding behind Daryl on the bike. It seems like we got us a little Harley rider here!" She laughed and Rick's eyebrows furrowed in slightly confusion.

"'_She'_? I thought it was a 'he'? Daryl was calling it a 'he' a few hours ago." He spoke and Tessa laughed again as she moved his hand to follow the baby's movements.

"It's a game we play. Since we're actually not going to know the sex of the baby until the birth, we call it whatever we want to call it.. depending on what we want at the time. It seems like Daryl's on a 'boy' phase again."

"Watch you have twins, Tess!" Beth grinned from over at her place where Tessa had left her and Carl. "Won't that just be magical?" Tessa grinned and scoffed as Rick's other hand moved to join the one already on her stomach. She tossed a grin over her shoulder at the young girl.

"Yeah, it'll be something all right!" She replied with a chuckle. "Although something tells me that Daryl would have a heart attack if I delivered him twins!" The rest of them broke out into laughter then too, including Rick.

"Yeah, Daryl's a pretty lucky guy . . ." He spoke, his voice quiet so that only she could hear, it seemed, and Tessa suddenly felt her breath catch in her throat. She turned a stricken gaze behind her over her shoulder and the expressionless, slightly wide-eyed look on Lori's face as she gazed at them sent chills of an undefinable emotion down Tessa's back. When she turned back to face Rick she suddenly found that his hands on her stomach made her feel grossly uncomfortable and she swallowed hard and nodded.

"Don't worry Rick - he knows that luck has nothing to do with how much I love him." She told him and Rick's eyes flickered up to hers before his hands left her. Rick wasn't a stupid man and he had grown slightly more paranoid ever since Shane. He knew a warning tone when he heard it and when he gazed at Tessa's expressionless face before shifting his eyes onto Lori still standing in something of a numb shock behind them at the front counter, he understood just why she had included that warning tone in her voice.

Rick swallowed hard and nodded as he buried his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, his eyes averting away from his wife's and her best friend that was still standing in front of him. He glanced at her, however, when he heard the door open behind them and then heard the twin bootfalls of the two Dixons that immediately entered. When he saw the immediate grin that spread across Tessa's face and the love that filled her eyes when she saw Daryl – the _undisputed _father of her baby – Rick knew, with absolute certainty, that he had absolutely no right feeling what he did for her.

* * *

"My God, baby, that was _so_ good!" Tessa sighed with a grin and Daryl grinned as well as the others still grouped around the lobby fire, nodded in agreement. T-Dog shook his head in slight incredulity.

"She's right, man. Ya know how to cook a damn good rabbit, Dixon, I gotta say!" He spoke and Daryl couldn't help but laugh as he gave him a nod of thanks. He allowed Tessa to slump even more against him and when his hand settled on her stomach, he immediately felt a pronounced kick against his palm. He gave a grin and rolled his eyes.

"Good _Lord_, tha' kid needs to calm down some!" He muttered and Tessa grinned and laughed as she glanced up at him.

"She was fine until you stepped in the room!" She told him and Daryl returned the laugh with a twinkling look.

"Well I know I'm pretty fabulous, but _he _can get over it! He's gonna 'ave to deal with my ass for quite a long time – he better hurry up and get used to me!" The others only shook their heads good-naturedly, long used to this little game the two of them were fond of playing with each other. Maggie gave them a soft look.

"So Daryl, what do you hope it really is?" She asked him with a grin and Daryl gave a shrug.

"I don' care what it is as long as it's born safe and sound and Tessa is too at the end of it all."

Maggie nodded in expectant approval. "Well, yes, that's a given – that's always been a given with you! But if you had a choice, what would you want?" She asked him again and he sat there for a moment, thinking. It was a long enough moment that even Tessa moved to turn a look of interest up to him.

"Well, speakin' that I already got me a good-fer-nothin' son," He tossed Ethan a grin and wink, a grin and a wink that the thirteen-year-old immediately replied with a sarcastic yet playful roll of his eyes and a middle finger. Tessa threw him a glare of death and Ethan immediately backtracked, redness filling his face as Daryl grinned and laughed and returned to Maggie's question. "Then, usin' tha' logic, I suppose if I _had_ to choose, then I'd want a girl," He gave Tessa a wink too. "Tho', I prolly couldn' complain with a son either, now could I?"

Tessa grinned and opened her mouth to reply, however, they were interrupted by a crash coming from the next room. Everyone immediately jumped and froze, Rick, Daryl, T-Dog and Ethan lunging for their weapons as their eyes pinned on the general direction that sound had come from. They watched the darkened hallway like hound dogs, just waiting for a half-decayed walker to come lumbering out. When the sound didn't come again, just a tiny clatter that signaled something glass hitting the floor and shattering, Rick and Daryl exchanged a long look.

"What do ya think is it?" Daryl asked him, his tone hushed, and Rick shrugged before nodding in the direction. Daryl nodded as him and Rick got to their feet and after gesturing for everyone to stay put, moved to swiftly investigate the source of the noise, Rick's machete and Daryl's crossbow at the ready.

Everyone there held their breath as the two men moved to investigate but immediately jumped up and ran to see what was going on when they heard Daryl let out an alarmed, cursing shout that was quickly accompanied by the clanging and dropping of various tables and chairs, as well as the stomping of booted feet against the carpet of the room as a scuffle quickly ensued.

"Rick, what is going on -!"

Lori abruptly came to a stop when they walked into the room, right when Daryl finally managed to throw someone off of him. The person rolled lithely to his feet and came up with a gun pointed dead-bang between Rick's eyes. The sheriff immediately froze, his hands quickly shooting up in an act of surrender as a young girl, no more than Carl and Ethan's age, came running the room from an opened door on the other side, a frightened look appearing her face.

"Seth, Seth – what's going on?" She demanded and the figure, who must be this Seth person she was referring to, kept his face expressionless as he continued to pin his eyes and his gun on Rick.

"Take it easy kid . . . ain' anythin' gotta be done brashly . . ." Daryl spoke, his crossbow trained on the person as well and the guy glanced down at the girl that was now clinging to his side before he returned his gaze to Rick. He arched a lightly condescending brow.

"Take it easy? You guys are the ones that moved in next door without telling us. The least ya guys could have done was come over with a pie and introduce yourselves once you had made yourselves at home!" He returned and while Tessa saw Rick's jaw harden in irritation, she could see that Daryl was forcing himself from smiling.

"We didn't know anyone was here when we first arrived." Rick told him and the guy grinned and laughed. He seemed young too, not nearly old enough to be the girl's father but not young enough to be her boyfriend either. He seemed around Beth's age, maybe a couple of years older, so logically, he had to be her older brother. He gave a flippant shrug.

"Well now ya do, okay? Now get the fuck out!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we ain't going anywhere! We've already settled in -!"

"There's a Best Western next door – maybe they've got some vacancies." The guy calmly interrupted Rick, his pistol still trained coolly onto him. This wasn't just some kid with an itchy trigger finger. This kid knew what he was doing.

"Now kid, come on, don't be hasty -!" It was T-Dog that spoke this time but they all came to an abrupt stop when Tessa, eyes wide with shock, gently pushed her way to the forefront of the group. Seth, alarmed, immediately cocked the pistol as his bright blue eyes settled onto her.

"Stay back – I _will _pull the trigger - don't think I won't!" She shook her head.

"No you won't . . ."

"Who says I won't?" He demanded angrily and Tessa shook her head and let out an incredulous laugh.

"How about your mother's best friend, Seth? Will you shoot her in cold blood?"


	35. Chapter 35

**Hey guys and welcome to Part 2 of "That Was Then, This is Now" *everyone throws confetti*. That's right, due to the somewhat pathetic amount of reviews I ended up getting, you guys wanted me to start Season 3 as a Part 2, which is what I'm doing. So, without further ado, let's continue to get on with the show!**

**There is Daryl/Tessa fluff, as well as Philosophical Daryl and a lemon at the end of the chapter. And yes, I know the chapter is . . . 7,000 some-odd words again (very, very sorry about that LOL) and I know this will probably never ever happen again but there was a lot I wanted to cover in this chapter and so I'm sorry for not wanting to cut anything. They should go back down to normal the next chapter :)**

**Maddy-MariXO - A lot of people have been wanting them to have a girl but all I can say is that you will just have to keep reading! ;)**

**HaloHunter89 - Like, I said, I'm not entirely sure where I'm taking the whole Rick-Has-a-Crush-on-Tessa thing but I'm pretty sure its not gonna get any better. It adds drama, which I need when the group isn't killing zambies and that adds the perfect amount of drama. Thanks for sticking with me this long too :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

_"You're . . . wait . . ." Seth's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion and he blinked a couple of times as he shifted slightly, his gun arm slackening slightly. "Tessa . . .?" _

They cleared the house out with a record speed and an almost Navy Seal like precision. Tessa stayed with the others as the men kicked open the doors and began the clearing of the house. When finally, it was done, they signaled for them and they entered the house, Daryl appearing seconds later, plucking the feathers off of an owl. His heart ached at the look of haggardness on Tessa's face and her slightly sunken, black ringed eyes as she walked in the house after Lori, the two women's great pregnant bellies now very much prominent and he wanted to slap Seth and Ethan on the backs for immediately stepping forward and taking whatever the two women were carrying.

"Ya okay, babydoll?" Daryl asked her quietly as they followed everyone into the living room where they were setting things up and Tessa nodded and shot him a weak smile.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I'm fine, honey, don't worry about me so . . ." She replied with the same weak smile still playing out on her face and the look of sudden weariness that descended upon her made Daryl's heart ache again. The winter had not been good to them. Harsh, biting and freezing, sickness had wafted through their camp with the prevalence of the plague and only the expert, almost constant care of both Hershel and Carol had seen them all make out of it alive. However, that hadn't been the only problem – not by a long shot. Food had also been extremely scarce, even with the two extra hands of Seth and Wren, his little sister, and they were all malnourished, especially Tessa and Lori. Daryl (whenever he could get away with it without her sending him death glares, anyway) always ended up giving Tessa his share of the food and, much to his chagrin, that seemed to only make the tiniest of dents in her weight.

"Help me down, would you?" She asked him and Daryl nodded as he helped her take a seat on the floor as Lori carefully took her own across the way. Lori was big but everyone had ended up commenting on how Tessa seemed to be huge in comparison. Granted, Lori was a lot taller and thinner than Tessa's short, petite frame but while Lori's belly still appeared a half-moon underneath her shit, Tessa's seemed a damn near _full _moon.

She shot him a thankful smile, one that he readily returned along with a loving kiss on her forehead as he took a seat beside her, returning to the plucking of the feathers of the owl as he did so. Ethan sat on her left and Wren and Seth sat beside him and suddenly, a massive air of weariness descended upon the whole group. They were all exhausted, forlorn and their morale had gone out the window alongside the harsh winter they were lucky enough to have survived. Something needed to happen to give them hope and fast or else their already fragile group would break even more.

Tessa continued to smile as she gently touched Wren's shoulder. The thirteen-year-old jumped and turned to gaze at her, her eyes wide but they softened when she saw it was just Tessa. Seth looked over as well and Tessa's eyes connected with the both of them. "You guys doing okay?" She asked them, her eyes lingering on the bird-like Wren and the both of them nodded, shooting her soft, thankful smiles as they did so.

"Yeah, we're just hungry . . ." Wren spoke up, her voice quiet and weak, and Tessa nodded as she rubbed the girl's back.

"Yeah, honey, I know . . . we all are . . ."

It had taken some convincing, but once Tessa had assured the group that, yes, Wren and Seth Williams were the children of her best friend before the apocalypse, a beautiful and cheerful Mexican schoolteacher on the reservation by the name of Fermina Williams, it was easy for them to stay. They were kids after all, and trying their best to eke out an existence in this hellish world. To leave them alone in it after finding other people, would have been almost cruel. As a result, it was like Tessa had gained two more children to look after, even though Seth himself was seventeen and could more than take care of himself.

Daryl glanced over as he continued plucking the owl and his eyes connected briefly with Seth's. He didn't like the kid. Wren was okay – she was just a scared kid but _Seth_ . . . Tessa had assured him that he was a good kid, just hardened from trying to protect him and his little sister in such a horrible world for God only knew how long and while Daryl had no doubt in his mind that he _was _a good kid, there was still something about Seth Fernandez that made his teeth itch. He couldn't put his finger on it and he supposed it could just him being cautious and paranoid over strangers – like he had the right to be in this new world, especially with a quickly growing family on the way – but Daryl had always had good intuition when it came to people and there was something about Seth that made a flag go up in his head.

Everyone jumped when they heard a bang and he immediately brought his eyes up when he saw that it had been Rick who had thrown a half-opened can against the far wall. His eyes landed Carl sitting slightly stricken with two more cans sitting in front of him and he immediately knew what was wrong. The food in the cans was drastically over their expiration date and Carl probably hadn't checked beforehand like he sometimes forgot to do. Daryl shook his head as Carl's eyes immediately flew onto his.

"They ain' any good, kid. Be sure to check the expiration date next time, okay?" He told him, his voice quiet and gentle and Carl nodded as he calmed down slightly. Daryl's eyes flew back onto Rick, who seemed on edge. Of course, they were all on edge but Rick seemed the worst. In fact, it seemed the more Lori and Tessa grew closer to giving birth, the more agitated and on edge Rick grew. It was to the point where people were starting to look towards Tessa and Daryl to smooth things over, which alone threw him for a loop. When had people _ever _looked towards _Daryl_ to smooth things over? Maybe Tessa he could understand since she was quickly growing to become the Queen Bee of the group as well as the Momma Bear, but _Daryl_?

It was then that they heard T-Dog heave a sigh before getting everyone attentions and rising to his feet, his crowbar hefting in his hands somewhat. He gestured to the window with his head and everyone immediately felt a sinking sensation in their gut. Walkers . . . great . . . that was _just great_.

"Here, Ethan, take this." Daryl told his son and Ethan nodded as he quickly reached out and took the half-dressed owl as Daryl got to his feet as well, picking up his crossbow as he did so. Seth and Wren helped Tessa to her feet before they quickly helped everyone gather up all their things. They left the house then, everyone jogging in the direction of the cars with Daryl in the lead and Rick bringing up the rear. The walkers hit as soon as everyone was in the cars and driving off, Daryl and Ethan on the bike immediately taking the usual head of the group.

"Are you okay, honey?" Lori asked Tessa from her seat in the front of the truck and Tessa nodded quickly as she wrapped her arms around her belly in an almost protective embrace. Her baby kicked against her leg and she let out a sigh of relief. No matter how skinny she seemed to get, her baby always seemed to hang on. While Lori's had gone quiet quite early, Tessa's was still pretty active, keeping her up late at night and giving her and Daryl their one bright light at the end of the tunnel during the winter.

"Yeah, I'm fine; what about you?" She asked in turn and Lori nodded and shot her a weak smile as they continued on.

"I'm fine too. I'm tired, but fine." She told her and Tessa nodded in agreement as she felt Wren take her hand and she allowed her to, her fingers entwining with the young girl's as they continued on their way. Another potential shelter stolen from them by the walkers . . .

And suddenly, to Lori and Tessa, the potential of giving birth in a ditch on the side of the road somewhere, loomed even closer.

* * *

They stopped to regroup on the road when they were sure they were far enough away from the house to where there was no hope of the walkers catching up and even the bright Spring sunshine did little to lift their spirits.

"Fifteen, you guys are on point, okay?" Rick told Carl and Seth and they nodded as Rick returned to Maggie's SUV, where they were stretching out a roadmap on the hood. Tessa and Ethan were standing beside Daryl, Tessa's arm wrapped around Wren's tiny little shoulders and Rick shook his head. "We have nowhere else to go." He spoke up and Maggie sighed as she traced out a path on the map.

"When this herd meets us, we'll cut off. We'll never make it out."

"What d'ya say, it was 'bout . . . one hundred and fifty head?" Daryl asked Ethan, his eyebrows furrowing in interest and Tessa slapped him on the arm as Glenn nodded. Daryl glanced at her, saw the wide-eyed look on Wren's face and smiled comfortingly. Standing there beside her, it was almost like Daryl was looking at someone who could very well be Tessa's daughter – maybe even a vision of what their own daughter might look like if the baby is born a girl. They had the same body shape and ebony, pin-straight black hair. The only difference was the skin tone. While Tessa's moved in the direction of the redder tone of her Native American roots, Wren was a little bit darker and olive-toned. Daryl didn't really care anything for Seth but Wren was just a kid. Wren still held a childlike innocence that made the father in him want to protect her.

"That was last week, though," Glenn replied with a wearied shake of his head. "It could be twice that by now."

"This river could have delayed them," Hershel spoke out as he used a finger to trace a river running along the face of the map. "If we move fast, we might have a shot to tear right through them."

"But if that group combines with that one, then there is a chance they might spill out this way." T-Dog pointed out and no one liked the sound of that.

"So we're blocked." Tessa spoke, her voice dead-pan and Rick shook his head.

"What we'll do is cut back and drive towards Greenville."

"But we picked through that already," Tessa brought up. "It was like the entire winter, all we did was go around in circles. Are we going to continue to do that?" Rick nodded.

"Yeah, I know that, Tess, and at Noonan, we'll push west. We haven't been through there yet – it'll be new territory for us." Rick's eyes connected with Daryl's this time and they knew this was something he was directing primarily towards his second. "You know as well as I do that we can't keep going from house to house," He spoke and as Daryl nodded in agreement, he continued, "We need to find a place to hole up for a few weeks." He didn't need to elaborate because they all knew what he meant. They all knew that Tessa and Lori's greatest fear was giving birth in a ditch and they knew the longer they stood around going house to house, the more real that fear for them became.

"All right, well is it cool if we hang here for a moment?" T-Dog asked. "We won't take long, we just gotta fill up on water. We can boil it later." Rick nodded and waved a hand towards him as Hershel and Daryl moved up to Rick, Tessa herding Wren back towards the car.

Hershel shook his head as he held Rick and Daryl's eyes. "Tess and Lori can't handle this moving about business for much longer – especially Tess," He told them, his eyes lingering on Daryl's as he spoke. "I hate to say it, but she could go into labor any moment."

"But that'd put her goin' early, tho', wouldn' it?" Daryl asked, his eyebrows furrowing in concern as his hands moved to his hips and Hershel nodded.

"By about three weeks, by my estimate. I don't like it but by the way she's walking and the way she's been acting, I'd say give her a few days at the most."

"And besides, what else could we do, let them give birth on the run? You know that's their greatest fear -"

"It's _especially _Tess's." Daryl added, interrupting Rick, and Hershel sighed as he placed a comforting hand on the two men's shoulders.

"Does either of you see any way around that?" He asked them and by the pale look that Daryl adopted and the weak one that Rick was holding, they didn't. They really didn't. And even though Daryl dared not say a thing to Tessa about it, he knew she was preparing herself for the same thing as well. She was trying so hard to stay strong – so damn hard, but even Daryl could tell her strength was waning. They wanted the baby – they really did, but it was so hard to stay strong when you were looking at facing something that could literally kill you in a matter of seconds and at any given moment.

Hershel walked away then and Rick swallowed as he turned to face Daryl as he gestured Ethan over to him. His son immediately made his way over to the two men and Daryl grasped his shoulder. "While the others wash their panties, me and Rick are gonna go hunt. Watch ya momma, okay? And if anythin' happens – _anythin_' – ya track me as fast as ya can and get to me, okay?" Ethan nodded obediently although a look of slight crestfallenness was on his face. Ever since Seth and Wren joined the group, Daryl hadn't been taking Ethan out hunting with them that much. He took him just enough to keep his skills honed to an expertly fine point but other than that, he stayed at the camp while Daryl oftentimes took Rick. Ethan knew it was nothing personal against him, that Daryl was only wanting him to stay around because his momma could pop at any moment but he also had no it idea that Ethan was the only one Daryl completely trusted to keep Tessa safe in case something happened – something like Seth.

Daryl smiled a small smile and clamped down harder on his son's shoulder. Ethan returned his small smile as Daryl left him and returned to Rick, where the two wasted no time in heading for the woods. "I don' know 'bout ya, but that owl didn' exactly hit the spot." He spoke and Rick nodded in silent agreement. They stayed in silence for a while until Rick chose to break it.

"Aren't you scared?"

"What? You mean of the birth?" Daryl asked and Rick nodded. Tessa was obviously going to give birth before Lori and so far, other than the concern he showed when he asked if that was going to put her giving premature labor, he was showing absolutely no concern. In fact, he showed absolutely no concern period. Daryl shrugged. "Truthfully . . . I'm scared shitless. I'm prolly more scared than Tess is, in fact. This is ma first rodeo – it isn' hers."

"Then why don't you show it more?" He asked, his voice and face full of interest and confusion, and Daryl just gave another shrug.

"Right now, I am Tess's strength. I am the one she turns to when she needs someone to lean on. If I _don_' act calm and cool and collected when she needs me, then God only knows how tha's gonna make her be," He shook his head. "And truthfully, Rick, I'm scared shitless. I'm scared shitless tha' somethin's gonna happen and I'm gonna lose her. I'm scared shitless tha' if I lose her and not the baby, then I'm gonna be left alone to raise it – that it's gonna grow up with no momma jus' like how Ethan grew up without me and that this time, it ain' gettin' a second chance like Ethan did." Rick nodded.

"I know . . . I feel the same half the time." He admitted and Daryl sighed.

"Well, it's like Tess told me a coupla months ago – it's too late for us to ask for a puppy now, ain' it?" Rick couldn't help but laugh at that and Daryl smiled but refrained from joining in. He nodded instead and looked away, pretending to scan the woods for game or walkers but instead, was thinking about how to phrase this. "I may be wrong here for sayin' this, but . . . somethin' tells me tha' if we lost Tess, the group would be more broken then if we lost Lori," He gave a half-shrug then. "Tess is an amazin' woman, ain' she?" Rick nodded slowly in agreement.

"I won't dispute you there. She's the glue that holds us together - the _both _of you are!" Daryl shook his head.

"Naw, I ain' gonna pretend that I'm as important as she is. If somethin' happened to me, yeah, everyone would mourn, but . . . but not like they would for Tess. She does more for this group than anyone else – _includin_' me and ya. I mean, Hell, look at her! She's takin' care of two damn kids who ain' even hers and she's 'bout to pop with mine. She takes over the reins of the group when it gets too much to handle for Lori and she's taken over the inventory jobs and the gun count," He shook his head. "I don' see how she does it."

"Yeah, you're a lucky guy, Daryl." Rick muttered and Daryl glanced at him.

"Rick . . . Lori loves ya, ya know? She might not show it at times, but she does. And with ya baby on the way -"

"The baby ain't mine," Rick interrupted him with a slightly defeated sigh and Daryl, even though he already knew this, chose to play dumb.

"What d'ya mean the baby ain' ya's?" Rick nodded.

"Before I returned to the group, she was in a relationship with Shane. The baby's his. She says it's not – that she knows it's mine, but . . ." He shook his head. "It's Shane's. I know deep in my gut that it is," He glanced at Daryl. "How do ya do it, man? How do ya keep that spark in your relationship with Tessa?" Daryl wordlessly shook his head. That was the wrong question he was asking. The only reason Rick wasn't acting around Lori the way Daryl did around Tess was because of the simple reason that Rick _knew _the baby wasn't his. It had _nothing _to do with losing that "spark" although Daryl supposed that could be part of the reason, but he doubted it was the full reason like Rick was deluding himself into believing. All Rick had to look forward to was the birth of his best friend's kid with his own wife. Daryl looked forward to the birth of _his _child with _his _girl. But how could Daryl tell him that? How could Daryl tell him that and not get punched afterwards?

Daryl answered with a weak shrug instead. "I . . ."

"Other than the fantastic sex, I mean." Rick quickly added with a smile and Daryl couldn't help but laugh at that.

"We've been so damn tired lately tha' we haven' even done that! Hell, we haven' made love in . . . God, nigh on three months now, I think! Since we left the hotel, in fact . . ."

"At least she still wants you, though. Half the time, I think Lori would rather . . ." Rick replied before he stopped himself. He pursed his lips and trailed off then, his voice low and slightly bitter and Daryl glanced at him. He knew why he had stopped. He knew what had been on the tip of his tongue to say but that he had successfully bit back quickly enough before they could come.

Daryl heaved a sigh. "Look, I won' lie to ya, Rick. Me and Tess, we've been through our share of trials since she and Ethan came back. And, I know I'm not exactly the best relationship advisor ya 'ave, but . . . hardships – they're natural, Rick. Hell, it's like raisin' kids and I know I'm not the best advisor on that topic either, but from what I've experienced so far, it's hard but also oddly gratifying. I _love_ Tess, Rick - we've known since we were kids that we'd get married and live together forever and have kids and the whole happy family life. And that fact . . . I think the fact of knowing that we've _always _been right for each other, has been one of the things that has helped us keep our relationship alive, even through all this shit."

Rick smiled a small smile and chuckled. "You make it sound so easy, Daryl. Hell, I've never seen ya get that philosophical before."

Daryl grinned and chuckled in turn as he shook his head. "It isn' easy Rick – it ain' easy by a long Goddamn shot! And boy, I ain' stupid enough to think that it is! We jus' . . . we take it a day at a time and I ain' gonna say tha' we _hope _it ends up all right by the end of the day, we jus' . . ." He shrugged again. "We jus' learn not to take each other for granted, that's all. Maybe tha's what happened between ya and Lori . . . ya took each other for granted and tha's how ya lost the spark." Rick grinned as they stepped onto a set of rundown train tracks.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Daryl Dixon would get philosophical on me." He grinned and Daryl shrugged again, his demeanor immediately changing to its normal gruff one.

"Yeah, well, don' get used to it. Ya were the one who asked, remember?" Rick nodded, continuing to grin as Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in interest. "Now, ain' that a shame . . ." Daryl murmured as they walked along the train tracks for a while until they eventually came across what looked like an abandoned prison, its yard full of walkers.

Daryl, who had been standing in silence observing the structure spread out before them, immediately noticed when Rick had adopted a much lighter demeanor. He glanced over at his friend and immediately furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What's up?" Rick glanced at him, a grin spreading across his features.

"This is it," He told him, excitement in his voice. "This is where Lori and Tess will give birth!"

* * *

_"How are they doin'?" Daryl asked as Tessa returned to their room later that night after settling in Seth and Wren into the adjacent room. Ethan had suggested that stay with them, les they feel ignored and Tessa had agreed. They knew Ethan too – they had grown up with him. It'd be good for them to catch up with an old friend, as well as Ethan. _

_Tessa grinned upon catching sight of the lit lamp sitting on the bedside table. "They're doing good. When I left, they were in a rather avid conversation with Ethan, so I chose not to disturb them." She nodded towards the lit lamp then. "And I take it that you and the guys found the generator?" Daryl nodded as he glanced at it and rubbed the back of his neck._

_"Yeah, it wasn' too hard ta find. It was in the basement like Seth said it was . . ." He told her before turning another twinkling gaze onto her. "We 'ave showers too, if ya want one. Nice, warm water . . ." He told her and she grinned. _

_"And I suppose you were waiting for me to get back before you took yours?" She spoke, already moving to unzip her back and withdraw a couple of towels and her shampoo and body wash. Daryl gave a half-shrug as he got to his feet and moved over to her._

_"Well, ya know . . . we gotta conserve water." He told her and Tessa nodded, one of her eyebrows arching in amusement._

_"Oh yeah, and our romp in the showers at the CDC didn't immediately jump into your mind?" She joked and Daryl grinned as he moved in the direction of the bathroom. After cutting on the light and then the shower, she grinned when she heard his next words._

_"Well, we've already done it in the shower and since tha's already been done before, I thought we'd keep the shower pretty innocent. Shit gets borin' really quick if ya do the same thin' over and over again." Tessa shrugged as she withdrew a pair of Daryl's boxers and an oversized shirt. She would be lying if she said she never thought she would be wearing her man's underwear pregnant, but considering they were the only things that fit now, she supposed they would have to do. _

_She heard him getting undressed in the next room and grinned when she heard the almost orgasmic groan he released at feeling the hot water. After stripping herself, she walked into the already misty bathroom. Daryl's back was to her, showing off that fabulous ass but it wasn't his ass that she was gazing at. As always when he was shirtless and had his back to her, her eyes were drawn to the horrible scars littering his torso, some even stretching a mean length across the broad expanse of skin. Her eyes became mournful as she stepped inside, her fingers gently finding the puckered, raised flesh of one of them. He immediately tensed and recoiled from her touch but calmed down slightly when her fingers left him and her lips connected with the scar instead._

_"I despise him for what he done to you . . ." She murmured, her voice bitter and heard Daryl release a scoff of wry laughter then._

_"Well he's dead and in the ground now, so I suppose hangin' on to that hate is only bad for ya. And besides . . ." His tone grew quiet and somber then. "He didn' contribute to all of them, ya know." _

_"She did some of these too, didn't she?" She asked and he nodded._

_"Yup. Not even ma old man had enough time in the day to devote to scarrin' me this badly. And besides . . . she always had to one-up the old man too." Tessa flinched at the imagery but recovered quickly._

_"What was her name?"_

_"Marla. Merle's named pretty much after her."_

_"Was she pretty?" He gave another wry laugh then._

_"Well, she could never hope to compare to ya, but then again, she wasn' exactly beaten with an ugly stick when she was a kid. So yeah, I suppose she was pretty when she was able to set down the bottle and doll herself up."_

_"What was she like?" Daryl gave another laugh._

_"Why ya askin' so many questions 'bout my ma all of a sudden?" Tessa shrugged as her fingers gently skated across another scar._

_"Just wondering . . ." She trailed off and when it was apparent that Daryl wasn't going to get anything further, he let out a irritated sigh._

_"Well, first off, ya wouldn' 'ave liked her and chances are, she wouldn' 'ave liked ya either." _

_"Why?" Daryl tensed slightly at this._

_"Ya were the type of woman ma old man always went after." He spoke and Tessa tensed as well, immediately dropping the subject at that moment. That was all she wanted to know about Daryl's mysterious mother for the moment._

_They spent the rest of the time washing in silence, silently moving each other out of the way whenever they needed the water and when they were done, they stood there for a moment under the slightly cooling spray and held each other for a moment, finding that for once, they never wanted to let the other go. __"If it's any consolation . . . ya ain' nothin' like her, Tess" He whispered to her. "Ya everythin' she wasn' . . . ya a great mother," His hand moved to her stomach. "I ain' worried none and neither should ya."_

_He reached for her and pulled her close to him then so that he could kiss her. He pulled her as close as he could get with her belly in the way, anyway - _

_No . . . no, it wasn't in the way, he found himself immediately correcting himself as she broke apart from him and cut off the shower. He watched her as she left the shower then and padded into the next room. He followed her after a moment, only finding her getting dressed. He watched for a moment before he started getting dressed as well. Her stomach - it was a part of her - an incredibly _sexy_ part of her, too. He had found himself thinking about it many nights in bed and while on watch just letting his brain wander 'cause there was nothing else better to do. And not-to-mention, he also thought about it while he watched her do anything else that had her walking around, her thick black hair swishing against her back in its customary intricate white clip. _

_That belly of hers was hot as Hell, and was all his doing too!_

_Eventually, he let out a laugh as he took her hand and drug her back to him, where he kissed her again, his voice coming out guttural and thick. "Goddamnit if ya ain't sexy as a chocolate-covered sin, babydoll!" He spoke huskily and she immediately returned his grin with a laugh of her own as she moved closer to him, her arms moving around his neck as she did so. __Tessa returned the grin as her fingers tightened in the fresh shirt that he had so recently put on. She raised her head slightly and kissed the side of his neck, feeling his arms tighten around her as she did so. Her mouth trailed up and over his chin to his mouth and it was then that her hand came up to cup the side of his face as she kissed him softly. Her other hand slipped under his shirt, relishing in the feel of his warm skin against her fingers. She let the hairs on his abdomen play out in-between her fingers and allowed the pads to run across the puckered flesh of the numerous scars littering his chest as well and it only made him end up kissing her harder. Her hand wandered up his chest, tweaking a nipple between the side of her finger and thumb. He groaned into her mouth and pulled her closer, his hand moving over the smooth roundness of her stomach. Pulling at the shirt, his hand finally reached soft skin._

_With a grin on her face, she pushed him back, making him get off the bed. After he helped her sit up, he pulled his shirt off. Tessa leaned forward and ran her nose over the soft hairs around his navel before laying a kiss against his belly. Daryl brushed her hair back from her face and tipped her head so he could look at her eyes._

_"Good Lord ya beautiful, babydoll . . .!" He told her, his voice coming out almost breathless as his hand brushed over her cheek and chin. Tessa smiled at him as she reached up for the buckle on his belt. He grabbed her wrists, stilling her movements before pulling back. He dropped her hands as he reached for her shirt, pulling it free from her frame. Once it was on the floor he kissed her softly, guiding her back down on the mattress, letting her shoulders and back rest against the scratchiness of the prison blanket. He lay next to her, his hands moving over her and stroking every inch of skin he could reach. His hands found and memorized every inch of her belly. In just a short little while, this would all be gone and their baby would be here. And he would miss her belly, he had to admit. Daryl wasn't lying when he said that he found it hotter than anything else he had ever seen on a woman before and that was probably because it was his, though - all his because he didn't have to dispute his claim like Rick did with Lori._

_He sat up and kissed the side of her belly before letting his mouth drift back down to her chest. He took one nipple in his mouth, careful to not use his teeth. Most of her body had become super sensitive and didn't need the overstimulation of teeth. He had accidentally done it one night and he swore to God that the punch she landed on his arm temporarily numbed it. She gasped at the flick of his tongue and arched her back off of the bed. One of her hands tightened in his still damp hair as he led a trail of burning kisses to her other breast. His hands moved over her sides, around her belly. He trailed kisses down the smooth hill, over her extended navel and down to the waist band. His fingers hooked under the band of both the sweats and the shorts and tugged them down her legs until they were pooled around her ankles. Carefully he pulled them from her and tossed them to the side._

_Daryl parted her legs and opened her to him as he moved between them. Carefully, he dragged a cheek up the inside of her right thigh, making her fingers tighten on the mattress. He slowed his movements as he approached her core, seemingly coming to a halt just millimeters from where she needed his touch the most. Placing a kiss to the apex between her thighs, Daryl placed his other cheek against her other thigh._

_Tessa groaned in frustration as he moved his whiskered cheek further down to her knee. With one last peck on her knee cap, Daryl slid from the bed, gently guiding her hips over to the edge of the bed. He kneeled in front of her and encouraged her legs over his shoulders, keeping the strain of their weight off her back. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of her core, slowly opening her up with his tongue, small little flicks until he grazed her nub, making her sigh and her hands to tighten on the bedding underneath her._

_His thumbs gently opened her to his mouth and he smoothed his tongue along every inch of her delicate skin, relishing the taste of her - the feel of her. He loved the soft noises she was making as she was trying hard to keep quiet, though it wasn't exactly working. And not for the first time he wished they were somewhere where she could make all the noise she wanted and not in a place that echoed something awful!_

_Smiling against her, Daryl moved lower, delving his tongue deep inside her, enjoying the feel of her body clutching at him, trying to pull the muscle in - to keep it in place. Knowing what she needed, he replaced his tongue with his middle finger and curled it against her. He drug it across the sensitive part of her and she immediately let out a small cry. "Oh God. . ." She cried softly, her fingers white knuckling around the blanket. Her breathing came out in shallow puffs of air, the echo of it and the soft noises he was making against her nub were all that could be heard. Feeling her body tighten, he sucked her nub into his mouth, flicking it with just the tip of his tongue, making her come hard around his finger. At least she had sense enough to grab a pillow so that she could muffle the whines and moans that immediately tore from her lips._

_Gently he lowered her legs back down and helped her scoot back until she was lying on the bed. Daryl smiled as he ran his callused hand down her leg until he reached the blood red polish on her toes. He grinned at the sight. Beth and Wren – he should have figured. The young girls were the only explanations for it, he was sure. Daryl gently stroked his fingers over her toes before he placed her foot on the bed._

_She snuggled back into the pillow, her eyes half open as she watched him pulled the remainder of his clothes off. As he moved to lie down beside her, Tessa turned to face the wall, letting him spoon her from behind. Shivers ran through her body as his warm breath skidded over her ear, his hand reaching up to brush her hair back. He laid a soft lingering kiss on the side of her neck, making her sigh and close her eyes as his hand snaked under her arm, coming to rest on her stomach as he pressed his legs to the back of hers._

_She relaxed into his embrace, enjoying the feel of his hands smoothing over her skin. She relished the feeling of being enveloped by him - every inch of her back pressed into his warm frame and suddenly, his hands seemed to be everywhere at once._

_He shifted his hips slightly and gently pressed against her, his cock slowly entering her. She dipped her head forward and sighed as he slid in fully. Her fingers tangled with his over her stomach as he achingly moved behind her, sending her head spinning with the almost languid pace he was setting._

_Tessa's heart was going to burst, she knew it! She felt so completely wrapped in Daryl that it was almost heady. He was a man of few words, but the way he was moving behind her, the soft, gentle pull of his cock - the feel of his hands over her skin . . . she knew what he was saying, and her heart ached because of it. _

_His lips met her neck and trailed down her shoulder, the scratch of his stubble against her skin making her sigh and whine. Tessa pulled his fingers up to her mouth, sucking the tip of one finger between her lips, her tongue dancing over the rough skin. Her teeth grazed the digit and Daryl pressed his forehead to her shoulder blade, his hip driving a little harder into her, small gasps floating to her ears now._

_She pressed back against him, letting his hand drop from her mouth. His arm draped across her chest, and hooked around her ribs, anchoring her against him as his movements became deliberately shallow and adopting a hard stroking. Her fingers dug into his arm, gripping it as she felt her body start to tremble around him. She bit her bottom lip as she moved with him, her hips stumbling a second before her world burst around her._

_As she blinked through the fog in her brain, both of them from sated lust and exhaustion, Tessa felt a sheet being drawn over her - over them. She turned and snuggled against Daryl's warmth, her head on his shoulder, her hand across his stomach as she felt his breathing even out, ghosting through her hair. He kissed her head, and tightened his arms around her. "Night . . ." He whispered._

_"Night . . ." She mumbled in turn against his skin. Tessa's hand settled over his heart, the steady rise and fall of his chest comforting her and luring her into a deep sleep. "I love you."_

_Daryl shifted sleepily, his face burying in her hair. "I love ya too, babydoll . . ." He whispered, before finally drifting to sleep._


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey guys! I told you that I would be delivering to you a much shorter chapter this time instead of the monster long one that I gave you guys last time and I am glad to say that I have successfully delivered! Enjoy this nicely shortened chapter that is chock full of Daryl/Tessa fluffiness (and slight raunchiness ;)) and then Lori and Rick being their customary awkward selves around each other. Its also a chapter that didn't want to get written in the beginning but once I started and got going, it started churning itself out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. I also might have stolen Carol and Daryl's conversation on top of the bus but when have I ever made it apparent that I liked Carol? ;)**

**We're getting ever-so-closer to the muchly anticipated birthing chapter and holy Jesus-Balls, I am excited, as I am sure a lot of you guys are! Will Tessa have a boy - will she have that girl - will she have something else . . .? Only time will tell and I hope you guys are sitting on the edge of your seats in anticipation, cause I know I am! And then after that, its non-stop action and adventure and I need to stop rambling LOL. I will also be putting Wren and Seth into bigger roles in the future, so that is another thing you guys will hopefully be excited about. **

**Okay, anyway, onward with the chapter! Read it, REVIEW it (**hint, hint, cough, cough**) and above all, enjoy :)**

**- Nagiana**

**PS. Thanks again HermioneandMarcus for your amazing reviews - keep 'em comin'! :) **

* * *

They had taken the prison yard with nary a hitch.

As Daryl, Carol, Seth and Ethan moved up to the guard tower and began picking off the walkers one-by-one and while Rick got himself ready to run across the yard and _close_ the gate, Tessa and Wren stood with the others banging and shouting on the safe side of the fence trying to get the walkers over to them where they could pick them off safely through the chain-link fence, as well as take some of the heat off of Rick as he made his way to the gate.

They all watched with bated breaths as Rick made his daring run towards the gate on the other side of the yard in order to close it, all the while trying their damndest to distract the walkers and get them over to them instead of him. When he shut the gate, secured it with a chain and then rushed into the nearby guard tower before he could get overwhelmed by the walkers, Tessa immediately knew what had happened by the intensely relieved gasp that Lori issued beside her.

"Light 'em up!" Daryl shouted from his spot on one of the guard towers and everyone stationed on the others nodded as they began picking off the remaining walkers lumbering around the yard with expertly placed head-shots as the others continued picking them off through the fences.

When they were finally done, the grins on their faces were actually real ones and they caused their faces to ache from holding the completely foreign emotion on it for so long.

"That was _fantastic_!" Carol spoke, grinning, as everyone exited the guard towers and the remaining people began filing into the yard. Tessa, grinning as well, hugged Ethan and then Daryl as he nodded to Hershel.

"Nice shootin'." He told him and Hershel smiled and nodded as he moved closer to them in order to pat Daryl on the back.

"You guys okay?" Carol then asked Lori and Tessa, concern filling her face and the two women nodded as Daryl wrapped an arm around Tessa's waist, bringing her closer to him as they joined the rest of the people on the other side of the fence.

"We haven't felt this good in weeks!" Lori grinned and her and a still beaming Tessa clasped hands for a moment as she walked by her, Daryl hand on her lower back gently keeping her going.

"Oh – we haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" Carol continued when their feet hit the grass of the prison yard, a grin and a laugh entering her voice as she took off at a jog across the yard, a grinning Carl taking off after her. It seemed everyone's spirits had been raised from winning the skirmish, as well as their morale, and when Daryl stopped, so did Tessa. Ethan and Seth – grinning as well – ran past them, playing shoving each other as they freely stretched their legs for the first time in months.

"Oh my God, we did it!" Tessa breathed out. "Daryl, we _actually _did it!" Daryl grinned then as he placed his hand on her stomach before pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"Ya think ya excited now? Then imagine our baby runnin' out across this grass – havin' the freedom to play and run and laugh out here to his heart's content and us not havin' to worry 'bout the threat of walkers hurtin' him . . ." Tessa's grin flickered down to a soft smile as she turned to face Daryl, her eyes loving and teasing when they connected.

"Ya might wanna stop talking so much about our baby so much, Daryl. I'm starting to get a little jealous . . ." She whispered before her face split into another grin. Daryl shared the same grin before he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. It was the deepest, most passionate kiss that they had shared in months and they only broke apart when they heard the whooping and catcalls coming from T-Dog, Ethan, Seth and some of the other, more cheerful people of the group that carried over to them on the lazy Spring breezes. Tessa blushed slightly as Daryl grinned and flipped them off before returning his attention back on to her. He moved to kiss her again, his hands moving to frame her face and she readily returned it. Their kiss deepened again but like before, they were interrupted before it could get too hot and heavy. This time it wasn't by catcalls and whoops, but by Rick himself.

"Hey, I hate to break you two lovebirds' canoodling with each other, but do you think you and Ethan could go out hunting pretty soon?" He asked Daryl as he neared them, shaking his head good-naturedly all the while. "Everyone would be mighty grateful if the group could celebrate this with some good meat for once." Daryl nodded in reply, his grin turning down to a soft smile.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I'll go get him in a minute." Rick nodded and gave them one last smile before turning around and heading back towards the group, where he began shouting for everyone to return to the cars and begin parking them in front of the gate.

"He seems more spirited." Tessa spoke and Daryl nodded as he glanced at her.

"Everyone does, Tess – he ain' the only one. Hopefully this whole prison thing turns out to be a good thing. I don't think Rick could handle another failure." Tessa nodded in agreement as Daryl gently but firmly hooked a hand underneath her elbow, catching her attention. Her eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion when she turned her gaze onto him again. "I'll be gone with Ethan but we'll be back soon, okay?" He told her and immediately when she realized where this was going, she rolled her eyes in irritation.

"Daryl, we we've been over this -!"

"Look, Tess, ya might trust the kid, but I don'!" He interrupted her with a shake of his head. "My gut has never steered me wrong before now and I don' think it's gonna stop anytime soon! Now somethin' is off with that kid – I know it! And without Ethan here to watch ya, excuse me if I start feelin' a little paranoid!"

"Daryl, if what you are suggesting was even in the remotest sense true, then I am safer here in the group, then anywhere else! Glenn and Rick and T-Dog are here – I'm pretty sure they are more than equipped to take on seventeen-year-old kid if he started something!" She smiled and let out a light laugh then as she framed Daryl's face with her hands and pressed a loving kiss to his cheek. "I'll be _fine_, Daryl, I promise!" She assured him and he nodded. She could tell he still wasn't taking her words with a grain of salt but it didn't bother her. She was used to Daryl thinking how Daryl wanted to think and if he wasn't leaning towards changing his mind about something, then dammit, Daryl Dixon wasn't _going_ to change his mind!

"We'll be back as quick as we can, okay?" He told her and she nodded as she adopted a soft smile. She knew this worry stemmed from how close she was to giving birth and if her fear was giving birth in a ditch, then Daryl's fear was not being there with her _when _she gave birth. He had already missed out on one of his child's births, he wasn't about to let it happen again.

"If something happens, I'll send Glenn out with order to go and get you guys as fast as he can, okay?" She assured him and he swallowed hard before giving a nod. After placing one last loving kiss on her lips, he turned around and after whistling for Ethan to join him, gestured towards the woods. The grin on his face was unmistakable and Daryl's heart twisted in his chest in regret that he almost never took Ethan out hunting anymore.

He couldn't help but feel more and more like his old man by the day.

* * *

The Spring night had turned cooler than expected and they all found themselves huddling closer to the fire than they normally would have that evening, as they all polished off their dinner. Glenn let out a sigh of contentment, a sigh that broke the silence that had pervaded them since they had first sat down with plates of food in their hands.

"Mmm . . . just like mom used to make . . ." He spoke as he finished licking a bone clean, and Tessa shot him a playfully mean look over the fire, one that he immediately gave her a smile in return. "Thanks, mom, for the food. Can ya tell dad I said thank you too?" He added teasingly and Tessa grinned and nodded as she and Maggie went back to stoking the fire with the two sticks they had found and had been using. Her gaze flickered over their heads to Daryl keeping watch atop the turned over bus by the prison yard main entrance and she saw Lori was doing the same to Rick patrolling the perimeter of the chain-link fence that surrounded them and the yard.

"Tomorrow we'll drag the bodies away from the fence and burn them. If we can somehow dig a canal under the fence from the river, then we'll have a supply of fresh water." T-Dog spoke up and everyone's eyes flickered onto Hershel as he spoke, a small smile on his face.

"The soil here is good too. We could plant some seed – some tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans . . ." He looked up then and pointed to Rick. "That's his third time around," He brought up and Tessa glanced over her shoulder at him, as did Lori. "If there was any part of the fence compromised, he would have found it by now."

Beth smiled at the slightly depressed look on Lori's face and leaned into her slightly. "This will be a good place to have the babies," She spoke up, her eyes flickering to Tessa's as she did so and while Tessa immediately smiled at the young girl, her arm moving around a yawning Wren as she did so, it took a moment for a smile of any kind to appear on Lori's face. "It'll be safe." Lori finally smiled as Beth finished and even then, Tessa could tell that it was a half-hearted smile – the smile of a near defeated woman who was one hundred percent sure that she would give birth to a dead child.

Tessa gave a sigh then as she stood, picking up a plate of food sitting beside her as she did so. Lori immediately turned a look on confusion onto her. "Where are you going?" She asked, and Tessa gestured to Daryl standing on top of the bus. Carol was on the ground talking to him and although she knew it was nothing, she couldn't banish the shiver of some indistinguishable emotion from shooting up her spine.

"I'm going to go give him his supper. If he doesn't get anything then he won't eat at all." She told them and Lori nodded as she began the short trek to the bus. Daryl nodded to her as she neared them and Carol smiled a small smile as well as she pushed herself off of the bus and began the trek back to the others. She smiled at Tessa as they passed each other and Tessa smiled in return.

"Here, babydoll, turn around . . ." Daryl told her as he slung his crossbow over his shoulders, and Tessa grinned and did as she was told after sliding the tin plate of food up onto the bus.

"What were you and Carol talking about?" She asked, unable to keep the slight hint of jealously and suspicion out of her tone as, standing in front of the structure with her back to him, she felt Daryl grasp her and then heft her – almost effortlessly – onto the side of the bus with him. He chuckled.

"Nothin' ya need to worry ya pretty little head over. Ya know ya don' need to worry 'bout us. She's just bein' annoyin' - _again_!" He told her and Tessa continued to grin as she felt his hands leave her and she picked up the plate, where she handed it to him. She didn't know what she expected when she asked the question. All Carol would ever get with Daryl was a tentative friendship because Daryl made no secret of the fact that he sometimes found her intensely annoying.

"Here's your food. It ain't much, but if I don't bring ya something then you won't eat at all. That or you'll _insist _on giving me your share – even if I don't want it!" She told him and Daryl smiled in thanks as he took it from her.

"Now, what would I possibly do without such a good woman as yaself lookin' over me and takin' care of me?" He asked her and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. They were being supported on her stomach, and she turned to face the group of people huddled around the fire – the group that Carol had so recently rejoined.

"You would probably be bashing your brains out in sexual frustration by now!" She grinned at him and he returned the grin as he took a bite of food.

"Fuck, I'm already in tha' state, remember?" He asked and she nodded, telling him that she did indeed know that. Gone were her days of obsessive horniness due to the hormones that flooded her body from the baby - where all she wanted to do was jump Daryl's bones at the slightest provocation and from the slightest reasoning. Now, she was tired; her back and her breasts ached and all she wanted to do was sleep and rest all day. The final trimester of pregnancy was a bitch without the awesome hormones to make it better.

"And ya think that I'm not? If I wasn't so damn tired I'll the time and if I still had those wonderful hormones of my second trimester, I'd still be jumpin' ya bones at every opportunity, mister!" She told him with a grin and even though she could see the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a smile, he merely shrugged instead.

"Yeah, well, the feelin's mutual. So do us both a favor and remind me when ya give birth again so that our completely mind-blowin' sex life can resume, how 'bout it?" He asked her and even though she knew he was kidding, she still landed a resounding punch against his arm, a punch that he only chuckled at.

"Holy shit, Tess, tha' tickled!" He chuckled and her teeth gritted then in playful anger.

"You _ass_!" She hissed as, laughing, she punched him on the arm a few more times, Daryl grinning and laughing as well as he recoiled slightly from her punches.

"Hey, hey, hey, now calm down, Momma Bear! I've got me a plate of food in ma hands, remember?" He laughed and she shook her head in playful disbelief as she moved to cross her arms in front of her chest again. Daryl cast a mischievous grin towards the campfire. "And I guess little Shane over there has quite the appetite too, huh?" He spoke and Tessa shot him a grin.

"Be nice, baby - you promised that you would! And Rick's gotten us farther than Shane could and I ever thought he would – I'll give him that," She gave a shrug then. "And besides, she's not entirely sure if it's alive or not. She hasn't felt it move this entire time she's been pregnant." She told him and Daryl grinned as he looked down at his plate of food. If Tessa didn't know any better, she'd say that was a grin of slight pride on his face.

"Unlike the marchin' band that you've been carryin'?" He asked her and Tessa shot him another grin. Yup, that had definitely been a look of slight pride.

"The marching band that _your _ass put in me, you mean?" She asked him and he gave a snort of laughter before they descended into a comfortable silence, the both of them just standing there, enjoying being in each other's presence as Daryl ate. That was one of the things he had always loved about their relationship. They didn't need constant chatter to fill their relationship like other people did. They were content to just be with each other and that was perfectly fine with him. He wasn't big on talking with anyone but her, Ethan, Rick and Merle, anyways.

It wasn't long, however, before he noticed the slight grimace she had adopted as one of her hands planted on the small of her back and the other moved to rub at her shoulder. His eyebrows furrowed in concern as he took another bite. "What's wrong, babydoll?" He asked and Tessa gave a shake of her head as she glanced at him.

"It's nothing . . . my back's just killing me, that's all. I've been on my feet all day and with this weight I've been carrying around for the past three months . . ." She shook her head and released a weary sigh. "My shoulders aren't exactly liking me too much either right now," She gave another shake of her head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I just can't wait until this kid is born! I'm tired of being sore all the damn time and being kept up all night with his near constant movement!" She confessed and Daryl nodded as he set his plate down on the bus before wiping his hands off on his pants. He finished chewing before he gestured for her to come over to him.

"Hol' on; come 'ere . . ." Tessa, eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion, obediently turned around and immediately wanted to let out an almost orgasmic groan when she felt his strong hands expertly work out the kinks and knots in her shoulders. She moved her head with his hand's movements and pretty soon, she began feeling loads better. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of this before until she remembered why.

"Sam had never volunteered to do this . . ." She murmured, almost to herself more than him, and it took Daryl a moment to realize who Sam was until he remembered that he had been the Yankee who had raised Ethan in his place.

"Well of course he didn' . . . ya weren' carryin' his kid. See, I've got certain obligations to ya that he didn' 'ave. And one of those obligations is givin' ya all the back-rubs ya heart desires." He told her gruffly and she smiled and let out a chuckle.

"You can stop feeling like you need to compete with him any moment now, Daryl. Ethan loves you and adores you – he looks up to you above all others - you don't ever have to doubt that!" She tossed a sly glanced his way over her shoulder. "And he'll never compare to you in other ways too, so you don't have to worry about that, either." Daryl gave a scoff then.

"If he'll never be able to compare to me, then why were ya with him?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"I thought we already discussed this, Daryl! I couldn't support Ethan on my own – I needed help. And my parents – who had never been too fond of the idea of you to begin with – weren't helping because they didn't want to have anything to do with their half-redneck grandchild!" Daryl's eyes grew slightly wide then although he didn't falter in the movements his hands were still making on her shoulders.

"Ya never told me tha' . . ." He murmured and she gave another half-shrug as she glanced at him. When she replied, her voice was low and gentle.

"I didn't want you to know that. I didn't want you to know that my parents had always thought that I was a complete and total fucking idiot for staying with you for as long as I did. They had never approved of you – of who your family was and even though they had never met you and were able to judge you for yourself and not from what people said of your father or your mother or of Merle," She shook her head. "Sam was there for me. He had started out as an understanding friend and when he saw how much I was struggling, he stepped up to a plate that wasn't even his to step up to, to begin with. We married but it wasn't because we loved each other – it was for a completely financial reason. And when my parents met him, they instantly loved him not because he could help support their daughter and grandchild like they should have, but because he wasn't _you_. That's when I started hating my parents – when I realized how such big hypocrites they were."

"He could 'ave loved ya, ya know," Daryl replied, his voice quiet. "Why else would he 'ave stepped up to the plate to help raise another man's kid? Ya might not 'ave loved him, but I can guarantee ya that he loved _ya_." His words left a sour taste in her mouth and quite frankly, they did him as well but the silence they descended into then still wasn't one of awkwardness. Tessa missed the loss of his hands on her shoulders when they left her. She turned around as he nodded back to the group.

"Come on . . . we should be gettin' back 'fore they miss us." He told her and Tessa bit down on her bottom lip.

"Really; are you sure? 'Cause I'm pretty damn sure that maybe those hormones are starting to come back now that my back feels good and shit . . ." She told him as she moved closer to him. Her hand settled on his stomach and he allowed her to kiss him for a moment before they broke apart, Tessa's eyes narrowing slightly. "No? You feel nothing too?" Daryl nodded his head.

"Nope – there's absolutely fuckin' nothin'," He shook his head and gave a weak shrug "It's not that I don't want ya, – 'cause I do! I jus' don' wanna risk hurtin' ya, babe." She nodded firmly, finding that it was the first time Daryl had called her anything but 'babydoll' and she found that she kinda liked it. 'Babydoll' was starting to get a little old.

"Okay, so . . . we'll wait until the baby's born, okay?" Daryl nodded and grinned wolfishly then.

"Oh Hell yeah! Then, babydoll, once Hershel gives us the okay, it's gonna be on like fuckin' Donkey Kong between us! In fact . . ." He grinned then as he leaned down, his lips meeting her ear as he cradled her waist with his hands. "I'm gonna have you shoutin' ma name so damn loud, tha' we might have to get out own cellblock for the night!" He murmured in her ear and Tessa couldn't stop the shiver of desire that sped up and down her spine at his words before they broke apart and Daryl gestured down to the ground. "I'll go down first, okay?" He asked and Tessa bit down on her bottom lip again.

"Great, babe, that's even better! You've always been amazing with your tongue and I'm afraid it might be getting a little rusty due to all the misuse!" She told him as she slapped his ass and Daryl shot her a playful grin over his shoulder. His words were laced with laughter when he spoke.

"Tess, _stop_, or else I really will want somethin'!"

He jumped down then and caught her as she gently slid over the edge, where he guided her gently down to her feet. Teeth catching her bottom lip again, she shot him a completely innocent look that he had to let out a snort of laughter at. Tessa Nightrun Dixon - _innocent_? The mere thought made him want to laugh. He'd call bullshit on that any day of the week!

But with her big brown sloe eyes, he had to admit . . . they put up quite the convincing argument if you didn't know her enough.

"_Sooo_, I'll meet you in one of the guard towers later with a couple of blankets to test out how rusty your linguistic skills have gotten?" She asked him with a grin and Daryl let out a great sigh that he couldn't help but accompany with a grin of his own.

"Fine, but don' tell anyone, okay? I hate feelin' like we're the only ones here who are gettin' anythin' here other than Short Round and Maggie." He told her and she laughed and nodded in agreement as they moved around the bus and headed back to the campfire, Daryl's pace slowing to accommodate Tessa's penguin-like walk. They reached the camp right when Beth and Maggie were in the middle of beautifully singing an old folk song and they took their customary seats in-between Wren and Ethan. Small smiles on their faces, Daryl leaned back on one arm as Tessa settled against him, allowing him to support her weight. She sighed in contentment – both at the peacefulness of the situation heralded by Beth's singing that Maggie eventually joined in with, and feeling her entire body come to a creaking rest around her. It felt amazing and heavenly and for a moment, Tessa felt like she could sleep, nice and deeply. Carl smiled and handed his father a bowl of food as Rick rejoined them and he moved to offer Lori his food, a motion that she politely declined.

The girls finished their song as fluidly as they could but now that Rick was back in the group and that awkward silence had descended down upon him and Lori, it seemed an awkward silence had descended on them all. Those of them who had been dozing, like Tessa, Lori and T-Dog, suddenly found themselves more alert now that Rick was with them.

"Beautiful . . . that was beautiful, girls." Hershel spoke up and Tessa and Glenn nodded in agreement as he gave both of his daughters a loving smile.

"We better all turn in . . ." Rick spoke up and everyone immediately turned their gazes onto him. "I'll take watch over there; we have a big day tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked cautiously and Rick sighed. His eyes connected with Daryl's and although he had discussed it with his second and Daryl agreed, that still didn't make it any easier to tell the rest of the group.

"Look, I know we're all exhausted," Rick began, his voice soft and gentle. "This was a _great_ win but we have _got_ to push just a little bit farther. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners, which means that this place fell pretty early. It could mean that the supplies may still be intact. They'll have an infirmary, a cafeteria -"

"They might have an armory too." Daryl added quietly from his place behind Tessa and everyone glanced at him before returning their gazes onto Rick, who nodded.

"That'd be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden's office would have info on the location but they would have weapons, food – _medicine_! This place could be a veritable _goldmine_!"

"We are dangerously low on ammo," Hershel spoke up, his face resuming its normal diplomatic, expressionless self. "Me and Tess counted it up this morning. We'd run out before we could even make a dent." Rick nodded as Tessa nodded as well in agreement with Hershel.

"That's why we have to go in there . . . hand-to-hand . . ."

And there it was. There was the kicker – the one catch. Everyone immediately adopted a stricken look on their faces then and Rick made sure to continue on with what he was saying before anyone grew panicked. "After all we've been through, we can handle it – I know it!" He glanced at Carl and Ethan and Seth then and smiled. "These assholes don't stand a chance." He told them and although they smiled and nodded, Tessa could tell by the look on Lori's face, that she didn't appreciate the way Rick had spoken to their son.

He got up and left the group then to return to his patrol and Tessa looked over her shoulder, watching as Lori got up and made her way over to Rick. She could notice the tenseness in Rick's body language when Lori called him over – the way he was almost unable to meet her eyes. As always Rick left in an angry huff but not before her spine encased itself in ice when she heard the last two things said between them – both of their voices irritated and angry.

"For God's sake, Lori, I'm _still_ here!" He hissed and Lori's eyes quickly grew angry and defensive.

"Yeah, but that's only because Tessa is!" Rick recoiled from her words and it was then that Lori shook her head. "I have something to tell you, Rick, and you might not like it but you have to hear it nonetheless. Tessa is _Daryl's_, okay? Tessa is Daryl's woman and the baby she is carrying is _his _son or daughter – a son or daughter that _they _conceived! They don't need your protection – they have him! Me, on the other hand . . ." Lori shook her head halfway dejectedly. "_I'm_ your wife, Rick – not my best friend who won't even give you the time of day because she's already head over heels in love with the man she's _got_!"

Tessa didn't know how Daryl reacted to those words because she quickly turned back around towards the fire and latched onto Daryl's arm instead. He cast her down a slightly concerned, almost uneasy look. "Babe, ya okay?" He asked her as one of his hands ran gently up and down the small of her back. It was a movement and a tone of voice that immediately made Hershel turn a concerned look onto them as well, but Tessa merely swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just . . ." She turned a tight smile onto Daryl then. "Can we . . . can we go to bed now? I'm exhausted and like Rick said, we have a big day tomorrow." Daryl nodded in reply, his face expressionless but his eyes searching as he got to his feet. He helped her to hers and after the both of them told each other good night, Daryl patiently waited for Tessa to place a kiss on Ethan and Wren's foreheads before he took her hand and led her to the truck, where they would retrieve their blankets. Tessa felt Rick and Lori's eyes on them the entire way and quickly felt sick to her stomach. She suddenly wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to test out Daryl's linguistics skills after what she had heard Lori accuse Rick of.

How the _Hell _could this be happening to her? What did she do to deserve such drama?


	37. Chapter 37

**Holy Jesus balls, are you guys as excited as I am? Next chapter is the long-awaited for birthing chapter and I, as the writer of this fanfic, is so excited for you guys to read it! I already have it written out so it _will _be posted tomorrow and I hope you guys like it cause I loved writing it!**

**Now, I did put a little Wren and Tessa bonding at the end of this chapter, mainly because I haven't really dealt with her and Seth yet, although I promise that will! I'm just getting past this whole birthing thing and then I'll be focusing on them. I've also decided (partially) on what direction I want to take Seth but if there are any directions that you guys think would be an interesting way for him to go, then feel free to PM me or even review it. I swear I don't bite lol. There is also some Daryl and Tessa fluff (there always is; if I don't include at least SOME in a chapter, I feel weird) and I did add the guard room that Daryl and Tessa are staying in too.**

**HermioneandMarcus - thanks for the review, love ya :)**

**HaloHunter89 - Yeah, you _know_ that Daryl heard. Eventually, Daryl might MIGHT get fed up with Rick's attraction to his girl and he MIGHT do something about it but I'm not sure yet. That's WAY too far in the future for me to be worried about right now ha ha.**

**Maddy-MarieXO - Yeah, I know and now that I've written this far ahead, I'm kinda regretting NOT putting more lemons in the earlier chapters but I know in some pregnancies (mine included) that when the third trimester hit, those hormones can go away and your just not wanting it. That was the case with Tessa - she just wasn't really up for it. But, of course, when they CAN have that long awaited for lemon after three months of waiting, you can bet your ass its gonna be a raunchy one ;)**

**And dammit, I forgot to do a disclaimer earlier. Shit. If ya know me, though, ya know that this is only gonna come once. Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead, yadda, yadda, yadda. The only people I own are Tessa, Ethan, Seth, Wren and any other character that you do not recognize.**

* * *

When the time came them to clear out the rest of the prison before actually entering the structure itself, Tessa watched with Lori, Hershel, Carl, Beth, Wren and Carol with bated breath and wide, nervous eyes. They watched as the rest of them, carrying knives and machetes and whatever else sharp or blunt they could grab, go in there in a circle, perpetually watching each other's backs and their senses sharp.

Tessa let out a sharp gasp when she saw Ethan slid his machetes through a walker's head that was lumbering towards Daryl already struggling with another walker, and then Daryl quickly returning the favor. She had to force her heart beat to settle down after witnessing that and she was helped by Wren and Beth, who linked their arms through briefly with hers before they withdrew and continued banging on the chain-link fence separating them.

"Get tight – get tight!" Rick called out, and everyone nodded as Daryl and Ethan quickly returned to the group, putting their backs to the center like they had started out doing.

"What the fuck is he doing?" They heard Lori breath out and they had to agree when they saw T-Dog break rank and run after something. They saw the group's nerves fray a little as everyone struggling to cover him but when he returned, they saw he was carrying a riot shield.

"Good idea, but you couldn't wait until the fight was over?" Tessa replied, her voice coming out as a hiss towards her friend and Lori shot her a smile as they returned back to watching and beating on the fence.

When they reached the doorway to the cell block and then suddenly disappeared, Tessa felt Lori's hand take hers. "I can't see them – I can't see them – can you?" She asked her hastily and Tessa slowly nodded as she craned her neck slightly.

"I think I do . . . they met with more walkers . . ." She told her and Lori swallowed hard and for the first time, found herself praying to God that they got out of there alright. It wasn't just Rick in there, but there was Daryl and Ethan too and she knew how antsy Tessa got when the both of them were in situations like that – situations where they might come back bitten or scratched or – like Daryl would probably do – not at all.

They heard Rick roar for Daryl and immediately, the man slammed his knife into the walker he had been dealing with, and after making sure that Ethan was alright (he was – him, Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog and Seth were back in a little circle) ran over to Rick. Daryl covered him as they ran for the open fence and once it was relatively free of walkers, Daryl helped him slide it closed, Rick securing it with a chain that was already there.

Then, they returned to the rest of the walkers.

Dressed in SWAT gear and other armored clothing, they were giving the rest of the group a pretty tough time. They couldn't get past the armored helmets and were hard-pressed to remove them because they were the only things keeping them from being bit. And likewise, the gloves they wore kept them from scratching. Finally, Maggie managed to slide her knife underneath the walker's neck that she had been struggling with – right in-between his collarbone and the strap of his helmet and immediately, the others took notice when he slumped, dead, to the ground. Another walker lumbered up to Glenn and T-Dog and Glenn pushed up the helmet as T-Dog slid his pipe into the walker's neck, into his head. They finished off the rest of them fairly quickly and regrouped when they were done. They were bloody, sweaty and beyond tired but as they headed back towards the rest of the group, they languidly observed the carnage around them all the while.

Rick called Glenn back before he could run and let the others in and Rick turned to them. "It looks secure." Glenn spoke up and Daryl shook his head.

"Not from the look of tha' courtyard over there," He replied, mainly to Rick, as he pointed out the crumbling stone wall. "And tha' one I killed right there – tha's a civilian."

"That means that the interior could be pretty overrun with walkers – maybe more than we can handle." T-Dog spoke up next and Glenn shook his head.

"Well, if there are walls down, then what do we do? We can't go about rebuilding this whole place!"

"I don't care what it is – we're in a blind spot. We need to push in." He told them as he moved towards the door and the others nodded in agreement as they followed close on his heels. Daryl shot an assuring look towards Tessa, one that instantly made her calm down, whereas Rick avoided Lori's eyes. She tensed whereas her friend relaxed and let go of her hand.

Rick stood point as Daryl slowly reached over and opened the door of the metal door of the cellblock, only to find another barred gate in the way. Rick moved forward and slowly opened it, all of them flinching at the creakiness of the hinges as it swung open and they all moved cautiously around the room, Daryl with his crossbow held aloft and T-Dog with his newly acquired riot shield. Rick moved up the stairs to the mini guard tower in the middle of the room and retrieved the dead guard's keys hanging at his belt. He unlocked the gate leading to the actual cellblock and they all let out sighs of relief when they saw all the men in it had died of gunshot wounds to the head and that they weren't walkers.

Except for a few upstairs, trapped in their cells – of course it couldn't be that easy.

Daryl and Ethan had followed Rick up the stairs to the upper cells and stopped when the walkers, snarling and teeth gnashing, stretched their arms out as far as they would go outside the bars towards them. Daryl and Ethan, coolly and impassively, took out their knife and machete and buried them in the two walker's head without much further ado.

They rolled the two dead walkers over the side of the fence to the ground floor as Glenn came in, leading the rest of the group. "What do you guys think?" Rick asked, seeming pretty proud of himself as he walked down the stairs towards them. Hershel was the one who spoke first, giving a shrug before he actually said anything, though.

"It's home, sweet home." Rick nodded in agreement.

"It is for the time being, anyway."

"Is it secure?" Lori asked and Tessa's eyes immediately locked with Daryl and Ethan's as they leaned on their elbows on the railing above them. She could the slight trepidation in Daryl's eyes and knew he would tell her about it later, like he always did. There was a reason Tessa was quickly becoming the Queen Bee of the group. Unlike Lori, Tessa was who everyone came to when they needed someone to talk to or just plain needed something and Rick and Daryl were nowhere to be found. Unlike Lori, Tessa knew _everything _that was going on.

"This cell block is," Rick answered her and his flickered onto Tessa's but they didn't last long as Tessa moved hers away first in order to continue running them along every inch of surface and nook and cranny she could find. It seemed secure . . . why did Daryl seem nervous, then?

"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel asked and Tessa nodded. Bingo. There was the reason right there. Rick nodded as he stepped closer to them.

"In the morning, we'll find a cafeteria, the infirmary and hopefully the armory too."

"Will we sleep in the cells?" Beth asked him, a hint of trepidation in her voice and Rick nodded.

"I found keys on some guards. Daryl has a set too." He replied and Daryl shook his head as he stood up from his place leaning on the railing, where he hefted his crossbow higher up on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but I ain' sleepin' in no cage," He gestured to the guard box located above them, the door leading to it easily accessible from the stairs. "Me and Tess will take the perch." Rick turned around and watched him go as Tessa grinned and shook her head as she began climbing the stairs after him, Ethan immediately leaping forward to take some of their stuff from her arms. She smiled in thanks as she turned to the three people following her.

"Ethan, Wren – you guys can share the cell closest to the stairs where _apparently_, me and Daryl will be sleeping because he doesn't want to sleep in a "cage"!" She rolled her eyes as she gave a shake of her head and Wren giggled as Ethan cracked a grin. The both of them nodded as she turned her eyes onto the seventeen-year-old standing behind them. "Seth, honey, where are you sleeping, do you know?" She asked him and Seth gave a shrug and a sigh.

"I guess I'll room with whoever wants me." He answered her and she nodded as she shot them small smiles before turning around and heading back up the stairs to the guard office, Ethan, who had been holding some of their stuff, hot on their heels. She glanced behind her and saw a grinning Lori place a loving hand on Rick's arm. She heard 'thank you' echoed off of the stone walls to them but Rick only averted his eyes away and pulled gently out of her grasp, leaving a slightly shell-shocked Lori still standing there. Carol eventually shepherded her away but Tessa shook her head as she continued ascending the stairs.

They entered the guard room, finding Daryl had already placed his crossbow down on a nearby bank of dead switches, and had cleaned off the nearby bunk of any dust and dirt and debris that could be on it. It was a pretty good-sized bunk – bigger than you would think being in a guard room and Tessa supposed that while the prisoners were given little single-sized mattresses, the guards had to make do with twins. Ethan set down the remainder of their stuff as Tessa shot Daryl a weary look. He left the room then to place his stuff in the cell he would be occupying with Wren and Tessa shook her head as she dropped her bag on the floor and then collapsed on the nearby bunk.

"I'm so exhausted that I just don't care anymore!" She told him with a laugh and Daryl chuckled as well as he dropped to his knees to the cold cement floor in front of her. Her eyebrows immediately furrowed in confusion as she sat back on her hands.

"Daryl, baby, what are you doing?" She asked him with a grin on her face, and watched as he bent down in front of her and gently slid her shirt up over her full moon of a pregnant belly. He pressed his lips to the smooth surface and she let a shudder go up and down her spine. It wasn't a shudder of desire or lust, though. It was the kind of shudder you'd get when someone you loved touched you – the shudder that immediately put butterflies in your stomach and made your head swim. Even now, after all that they had gone through as a couple, Tessa was still relieved that Daryl could put butterflies in her stomach and make her head swim.

"I'm jus' checkin' for scratches . . . got a problem with tha'?" He murmured and Tessa couldn't help but continue to grin as she shook her head and allowed her fingers to slide through his hair, his bright blue eyes seeking hers through the gloom.

"How could I have gotten scratched, Daryl? I was behind the fence the entire time!" The man kneeling before her shook his head.

"Ya never know. And even then, ya could 'ave gotten scratched on a rusty nail or somethin' – don' want ya getting' tetanus or anythin'," He closed his eyes then and let out a groan as he placed his forehead on her stomach. "Oh great . . . now why did I make myself think of tha'?"

Tessa immediately grinned as she pulled him up by the collar of his shirt, where she pressed her lips to his. They kissed for a moment and when they broke apart, Daryl had taken his place beside her on the bunk, his hand still resting on her stomach as he buried in his nose in her hair. "I can' wait for us to meet her . . ." He murmured to her and Tessa grinned and laughed again.

"I thought it was a boy?" Daryl shook his head.

"Nope – I changed my mind. It's a girl."

"What makes ya say that?" She asked and Daryl grinned.

"Cause ain' no male Dixon ever waited this long to be born!"

Tessa had to sit there and silently agree with him. Ethan had been like Merle and had been born not exactly premature, but on the bare fringes of being premature. Daryl himself had _actually _been born premature – or so he told her that he had learned from his mother's often drunken lips. She had to admit that for one, Daryl was right . . . no male Dixon had ever waited this long to be born.

Tessa chuckled. "If I were you, I wouldn't be too anxious. Hershel says our love life can't resume for at least three months after the birth, just being safe." She told him and Daryl grinned and shook his head as he planted a kiss in her hair before planting the same one at the corner of her mouth.

"Tess, I've waited this long for ya – I can wait three months more!" She laughed then.

"Can you unpack without me?" She asked him and his eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion.

"Sure I can, but why?" She rolled her eyes.

"I gotta go check on everyone – especially Lori." She told him and Daryl let out a 'tch' as he moved to slump against the wall the bunk was bolted to.

"Of course ya do. I keep forgettin' tha' my Momma's Bear is Queen Bee of the group now!" He grinned and she returned the grin as she bent down and pressed a slow, loving kiss to his lips. It was a kiss he eagerly reciprocated and she grinned against him as he slid a hand around her neck and brought her closer to him. After a moment, she reluctantly broke apart and nuzzled him.

"This place ain' exactly soundproof, ya know? That's gonna make things interesting . . ." She spoke up and Daryl let out a snort of amusement.

"It's like I told ya yesterday night – when it comes the time for our sex life to pick up again – I'll clear us out a cellblock. Ya can be as loud as ya want then!" He shot her an assuring look. "Don' worry, babydoll – I got ya covered!" Tessa grinned and rolled her eyes as she got to her feet.

"I feel so lucky that I have a man who is so concerned about my needs!" She grinned and Daryl shook his head in playful disbelief.

"Bitch, I'm unpackin' for ya while ya go 'round and make ya rounds! Not-to-mention, do I _'ave _to mention the countless amount of deer that me and Ethan and Rick had to ruthlessly track durin' the winter 'cause _someone _was cravin' venison so bad she almost couldn' stand it?" He asked her and she nodded like he had no choice unless he wanted to sleep on the floor before she got to her feet. She threw him a loving look over her shoulder, one that he quickly reciprocated as she left the guard room then and moved back down the stairs to the cell block. She ducked her head into each individual cell as she moved down the line, everyone giving her weak smiles as she asked how everyone was doing and they answered her in turn.

When she reached the cellblock Carol and Lori were sharing, she smiled a small smile as she immediately took a seat beside her friend. Carol was gone, probably helping someone to do something, and she automatically wrapped an arm around Lori's shoulders. They sat there for a minute, in silence and eventually, they looked at each other and a light laugh appeared in their eyes.

"Are we safe, Tess? Can we _actually _rest for a moment?" Lori quietly asked and Tessa smiled and slowly nodded.

"I . . . I think we can. We might not be able to for a while, but . . ." Her hand moved to her stomach then and Lori knew what she was thinking. "We can rest long enough for it to matter."

* * *

"Nothing to kill or die for . . . and no religion too . . ."

"I'm sorry, Tess, but . . . what . . . what is that you are singing?"

Tessa almost jumped out of her skin and the hunting knife she had been holding, clattered out of her hands and onto the bloody metal of the table standing in front of her. Tessa was standing in front of one of the many tables in the common room of the prison that they would use in order to prepare their scant meal. When she saw it was just Wren making her cautious way towards her while everyone flitted to and fro getting their things situated, she immediately let out a grin and a slightly nervous laugh. Her clean hand flew to her chest, covering the two pendants that still hung from her neck and she shook her head in order to rid herself of the fright she had just been recently dealt. As if in anger at the fright as well, her baby kicked and Tessa's hand reflexively flew to her stomach, feeling the actual movement of the foot as it lifted her flesh and drew its path across her stomach. That was one of the few things that Tessa hated about being pregnant – in the last couple of months, you could actually _see_ your baby move.

"Oh God - Wren, honey, you scared the living daylights out of me!" She gasped and the pretty young girl smiled as she stepped closer towards her, nodding as she went. Like Ethan, Tessa had to consciously remember that Wren was thirteen and not closer to Beth and Seth's seventeen-year-old selves. In fact, she had to keep reminding herself that when the group first made contact with her, she was alone – completely and irrevocably alone with only her older brother to keep her safe.

"Yeah, sorry, but you were pretty out of it!" A curious look appeared in her eyes again. "What were you singing?" It was Tessa's turn to give her a slightly curious look as she resumed the gutting of the squirrels and rabbits that were lying on the table before her. Daryl and Ethan had caught and brought them back for dinner not that long ago after an hour or two of being gone, and now that they were back, her heart seemed to rest a little easier. She hated being this far along in her pregnancy and absent Daryl for so long. She wanted him to be there with her when she gave birth, almost as much as he wanted to be there. If they were away from each other longer than an hour or so, the both of them started to get a little antsy.

"You've never heard of "Imagine" by John Lennon before?" Wren thought for a moment before slowly shaking her head. Tessa let out a playfully indignant scoff as she shook her head.

"I find that impossible to believe! Everyone's heard it at least once! It was his most memorable song after he left the Beatles – Hell, it's probably one of the most famous songs ever written and performed, as well as one of the most beautiful!" Wren grimaced, her dark brown curls shining in the bright fall sunlight.

"Well, if it's such an awesome, beautiful song, then why are you singing it while . . . _gutting_ animals?" She asked and Tessa laughed as she chopped one of the squirrel's heads off, barely missing the slightly green look that Wren's skin adopted at the sight.

"I know it is . . . kinda morbid, but with Daryl helping out Rick getting everything situated here in the cellblock and Ethan off God only knows where with that brother of yours, then I suppose I'm the only one left who knows how to properly skin and clean game!" She spoke with a laugh. "And I sing because . . ." She gave a shrug as she placed her hand on the huge swell of her belly. "Just because I want to, I guess. I sang to Ethan while pregnant with him – the same song too and while my doctor said that the probability of him understanding a damn thing I was saying was slim to none, he also admitted that he could still hear me. I know it's totally cliché but . . ." She trailed off then, her voice coming to a quiet end and Wren nodded, regarding the now pink, headless carcass of the squirrel hesitantly. Tessa glanced at her and her grin turned down into a smile. "Daryl taught me how to do this not long after we first met. It was one of our first dates, in fact – hunting and gutting squirrels," She rolled her eyes and Wren let out a grin and a laugh. "It was . . . just about as romantic as you can possibly imagine it being!" Wren shot her a sly smile then.

"Oh you can't tell me that you still didn't find him as attractive then as you do now, all covered in blood and squirrel guts! Heck, the only thing that's different now is his age!" She teased her and Tessa laughed and nodded as she placed the freshly gutted and skinned squirrel aside before picking up a new one. She smiled and gestured down to it, where she offered her the hunting knife.

"Your right, I was as head over heels in love with him then as I am now. But I digress - ya wanna give it a try? It's like Daryl said, every girl needs to know how to clean game, especially in this new, fucked up world," She asked her, and Wren looked at it apprehensively for a moment before slowly taking the knife from her. She stepped forward as Tessa stepped aside, Wren immediately taking a firm hold of the squirrel. "We gotta skin the squirrel first, okay, before we can gut it. Now, I've already done the first two parts for you, so what you wanna do now is cut there first, just a small cut towards the head," She traced out what to do with her finger and Wren nodded as she did as she was told. Tessa nodded before tracing out two more incisions. "Now you cut the skin in front of the hind legs. And once you have that done, you wanna grab the hide and pull it upwards, exposing the front legs," She nodded when Wren did it, cleanly and expertly for just her first time, and a grin appeared on Tessa's face. "Now, you wanna stand it on its tail and pull the hide down to the back feet, just like that. Pull the front legs through and then cut the front feet off – _exactly_! – and then you do the hind feet and head – _awesome_!" Tessa smiled and patted the small girl on the back. She didn't look so green anymore. "I do say that you're a natural at this, honey!"

Wren glanced up at her. "Now we . . . now we have to gut it, right?" She asked her, her face adopting another greenish tint again, and Tessa nodded and chuckled.

"We have to. You don't wanna be eating squirrel stomach, do you? Although, I must say that squirrel brains are quite good if you know someone who can cook them good enough." Wren's nose wrinkled up.

"Squirrel brains? Eww – that's disgusting!" Tessa laughed at Wren's interruption as she gently took the hunting knife from her.

"You can say 'eww' all ya want to but it's a general consensus around here that Daryl's the squirrel cookin' master and I garun-damn-tee you, honey, that you guys have eaten squirrel brains more than once and not bothered to ask him what it was! Now, watch closely; I'll do this the first time to show you 'cause it can be kinda tricky . . ." Wren nodded as Tessa sliced open and gutted the squirrel in front of her until the body cavity was as empty and hollow as a dead tree. Slowly her face lost its greenish tint again and Tessa turned her gaze back onto her as she picked up another squirrel from the nearby pile and plopped it in front of her. "Now it's your turn – straight from the top so I know you got it."

Wren nodded as she retook the hunting knife and expertly skinned it again before hesitantly starting with the gutting. They heard laughter come from up ahead and the both of them glanced ahead, right when Ethan and Glenn came walking past them with Seth, grins on their faces for the second time in months and with more supplies from the cars slung over their shoulders. The three of them glanced towards them and Glenn and Ethan grinned and waved as Seth simply smiled a small smile and nodded. Tessa and Wren returned the boys' greetings and Tessa looked down, barely catching the slight pinkness that spread across Wren's face at the sight of her son. She smiled an all-knowing smile.

"You know, Wren . . . you should go talk to Ethan sometime, especially now that you guys are sharing a cell. It's been a long time since he's been around another person his own maturity age and it's not like you two didn't know each other before this!" She spoke, her voice coming out soft and quiet – slightly motherly - and Wren glanced up at her before returning to the squirrel, giving a shrug as she did so. She could tell that the girl hoped it was a shrug of nonchalance but Tessa was a mother and she could see through it.

"I would, but . . . he doesn't notice me. He . . . he likes Beth." She replied and Tessa smiled a small smile as she placed her arm around the young girl's shoulders. Her son definitely noticed the young girl, for oftentimes she would glance up and notice the kid sneaking glances at her – glances that he wasn't really sneaking Beth all that much anymore. In fact, Beth and Seth were sending more looks towards each other than her and Ethan was. They had grown apart during the harsh winter and while they certainly remained good friends, Tessa would be very shocked if her son and the youngest of Hershel's daughters came up to her and Daryl and confessed to them that they were an item. And besides, Tessa liked this a lot better – Wren and Ethan were closer in age than him and Beth.

That same smile remained on her face as she answered the young girl. "Well, you never know until you try, honey. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." Wren glanced up at her with a slight smile on her face.

"Did you learn those words of wisdom from being with Daryl?" She asked, and Tessa grinned when she heard a chuckle in her ear and felt strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. Equally strong hands fell onto her stomach and she felt the scratch of Daryl's stubble as he planted a loving kiss on the nape of her neck.

"Ya can bet ya life tha' she did!" Daryl answered Wren for her and Tessa grinned as she turned her head to peck him on the lips.

"Yes, even Daryl has something smart to say if ya listen to him long enough!" She agreed and as Wren giggled, Daryl rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Ya lucky I love ya so much, babydoll!" He murmured with a smile as she laughed and planted a kiss on his cheek. He rubbed the back of his neck gingerly as he gestured to the squirrels and rabbit set before them. "I hate to be _that _guy, but are ya guys done yet?" Tessa gave a half-shrug in reply.

"I've been teaching her how to skin and gut 'em so that's the reason it's been going so slow. Give me one more half hour and we'll have 'em done and ready for the fire or the cooking pot or however you're cooking them tonight." She told him and he nodded as she stepped aside so that he could grab up the ones already skinned, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his lip as he did so.

"Okay, tha's fine – take ya time. I'll jus' get started on these. Group's been workin' hard today and already they're moanin' for their supper. Get the rest to me as quick as ya can, okay, love?" He asked and Tessa smile and nodded and he pressed a light kiss to her lips, one that she readily reciprocated, before turning around and moving off to the stove that Maggie was currently stoking. Wren watched him go with a look of interest in her eyes.

"He's an asshole -" She spoke up and Tessa immediately shot her an alarmed look.

"Wren – watch your language! And what in the Hell makes ya say that?" She asked, interrupting her, and Wren laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"You didn't let me finish, Tess! He's quite clearly an asshole but around you, he's . . . he's not so much of an asshole. I get how many people could immediately not like him right off the bat like Seth, but I do. He might be an asshole, but he's _your_ asshole, Tess, and he's also got a good heart. I can tell that as well." She thought for a moment before nodding firmly. "I like him. I approve." Tessa grinned and laughed then as she turned back to the squirrels and rabbits, withdrawing another one of Daryl's hunting knifes from its sheath strapped to her hip as she did so.

"Good - I'm so glad that I have your approval, honey," She told her before shooting her a playfully stern look. "Although you're not just telling me that because you have a crush on my son, are you?" She asked and Wren laughed again although this time, she shook her head mysteriously but still slightly teasingly.

"No offense, Tess, but you'll never know the answer to that."


	38. Chapter 38

**Here we are! The long- awaited for birthing chapter - I'm just so excited! XD  
**

**Sorry its so short too, but for some reason the scenes other than the actual birthing scene, did want to get written so instead of forcing it like I tried (multiple times) I'm just gonna leave it here. And not-to-mention if I made too sickly sweet between Daryl and Tessa, I'm pretty sure I'd give all my dear readers diabetes or something like that lol.**

**HaloHunter89 - I love it when I've only given the kid just a couple of lines and already people think he's weird. That's awesome! Don't worry, I can already tell you that I'm NOT going to make him batshit crazy.**

**Anyway! Read, review and enjoy! :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"Deddy – deddy, ya have to come quick!"

Daryl had still been sleeping and had awoken to the sounds of his son's boots pounding against the metal stairs leading up to the guard office. He had heard them before he was even fully awake and turned to squint up at the window hanging above the bunk – the window that had cast moonlight down on them the previous night. Tessa was gone and the sun hung high in the sky – it was around noon, to be exact. Since when did he sleep that long? Since when did anyone_ allow_ him to sleep that long – especially Tessa? She knew he liked to get up early and she always woke him if there was even the slightest chance of him sleeping past the normal time he woke up.

He shuffled a huge yawn and cast a bleary eye on the opened doorway to the room and waited for his son to enter. Right when he did, however, judging from the intensely worried look on his face, Daryl immediately knew that something was wrong – very wrong. He quickly sat up, his vision and mind suddenly clear and awake as he reached down, picked up the shirt he had discarded from his body the previous night, and yanked it none-too-kindly on.

"What's wrong, Ethan?" He asked and Ethan swallowed hard and fought to catch his breath and talk all at the same time as he leaned on the doorframe.

"It's momma, deddy! Her water broke while we were down in the yard dealing with the bodies and the other stuff that needed dealin' with and it took us a long time to carry her back up here, what with all the contractions and stuff, so she's pretty far along. She's been askin' for ya the entire way up here!"

Daryl immediately let out a curse as he sat up and quickly pulled on his boots. "Goddammit, Ethan, why didn' ya guys wake me up when I normally woke up?" He growled and Ethan shrugged weakly.

"It was momma's idea, I swear! She said ya were exhausted and to let ya sleep in – we didn' know her water would break today!" He immediately moved to defend himself and Daryl nodded, forcing himself to calm down as he finished pulling on his boots and got to his feet. He forced himself to smile a tight smile as he stood in front of Ethan and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Don' worry, Ethan, she'll be fine, I promise. Ya momma's a strong woman – she'll survive this jus' like she survived everything else in her life." Ethan replied with a weak smile of his own before Daryl gently pushed past his son and left the guard room. His heart jumped up and began pounding a fierce beat in his throat as he jogged as fast as he could down the stairs leading to the second floor of the cellblock, skipping the last two on his way down and landing resoundingly on his feet. He then took off full tilt towards the cell that Hershel was standing in front of along with everyone else in the group, it seemed, and the old man's face adopted a look of intense relief when he saw Daryl. He met him halfway, his voice lowering so that it wouldn't carry off of the walls.

"Her contractions are coming fast – faster than when they started down on the yard. She's about to go into labor any second now." Daryl nodded in reply, the look of nervousness on his face undeniable.

"Are we good?" He asked and Hershel gave a weak shrug.

"Rick and some of the others are out looking for the infirmary as we speak – to gather things that we might need if something happens and they promise that they'll be back as quick as they can. If they're surrounded on the way back, then Glenn's gonna break away and make a run back as fast as he can." He clapped a hand on his shoulder, a slightly more worried expression appearing in his eyes then. "I didn't want to say anything in front of Tess, but I want – no, _need _– to remind you that something _could_ very well happen, Daryl! And when the time comes . . ." He trailed off and Daryl nodded and swallowed hard, knowing what he was going to say.

"Yeah . . . yeah we both know what could happen. We've both discussed it – we know what we'll do if tha' comes up." He assured him and Hershel nodded as he stepped aside, finally allowing the man through. Everyone parted like the Red Sea as he moved to enter the cell Tess was in, however, he ended up freezing in place at the scene he found before him.

Tessa had been moved from the bunk bolted to the wall, onto the mattress that had been dragged from the bunk onto the floor as well to give them more room. Carol was kneeling in front of Tessa, who was, in turn, leaning against Maggie's chest, legs spread and a white sheet draped over her knees for modesty's sake. Lori's fingers twisted nervously at the necklace hanging around her neck the entire time and a look of intense relief entered her eyes when she saw Daryl. She would have been in Maggie's place behind her friend until Daryl arrived, however, being as pregnant as Tessa was, left that a quite impossible feat. So it left her sitting on the metal, mattress-less bunk not that far off from them, watching anxiously and praying that her friend would deliver her baby safely. Maggie was doing a good job of keeping it together too, especially when Tessa's gaze fell onto him. Her brown eyes darkened in a fiery anger as a very colorful string of cursewords fell from her mouth – directed mainly towards him – a colorful string of cursewords that had Maggie's eyes widening and her cheeks tingeing with blush in shock at.

"You motherfucker – how the _fuck_ could you have done this to me again?!" Without even waiting for his response, she continued on, her voice getting a tad bit more screechy as she spoke, her eyes squeezing closed as she was hit with another contraction. When it was over, she opened her eyes and pinned him with an icy cold glare that would have frozen Hell. "Why are you standing there just glaring at me? _Get your motherfucking ass over here_ Daryl Dixon!"

"Happy to see ya too, Tess!" He grinned as he quickly crossed the room to kneel beside them. He reached an arm carefully around Tessa's shoulders where Maggie was holding her up with her hands and then nodded to the brunette so that she could quickly scramble out of the way and he could settle in her place behind her. His legs moved to either side of her and she sunk back against his chest in relief while his found itself pressed against the cement wall behind him in turn. Her ebony hair was hanging limp and damp around her face and he planted a loving kiss on her forehead as she quickly entwined their fingers.

"I love you, Daryl . . . so Goddamn much . . .!" She whispered to him and he nodded and nervously licked his lips before he planted another, more lingering kiss, on her forehead. He had heard the agony and fear in her voice when she said those words to him and he found himself hoping to Hell that, that wouldn't be the last time that she would tell him that. He hoped to Hell that nothing would go wrong and she would get out of this okay – her _and _their baby.

"I love you too, babydoll. Now do me a favor: focus and _breathe_ . . .!"

Tessa did as he told her as best as she could. It was two more hours of intense breathing and heart-wrenching screams that found themselves accompanied by Daryl's loud words of encouragement and mutually numbed fingers before the indignant wail of a new infant finally echoed throughout the walls of the cell block. Whooping and cheers came from the people scattered about and a look of intense relief appeared on Ethan's face as a beaming Seth and Wren wrapped congratulatory arms around his shoulders. T-Dog, Glenn and Rick, who had been on the quest for the infirmary, walked in around that time and after seeing the joyful look on everyone's faces, allowed theirs to split into grins as well. Tessa herself drew in a sharp breath and then started to cry and laugh at the same time as Carol cut the cord tethering mother and child before moving the struggling bundle of blankets up to settle on the new mother's chest.

"I suppose Daryl had been right these past few months. It's a perfect, very handsome baby boy!" She proclaimed to the new parents with a beam and Tessa grinned and laughed as the news that it was a boy, rushed through the crowd outside the cell with the speed of lightening. She ached and she hurt and she felt like she had just been run over by the biggest dump truck you could possibly find, but all that went away when she looked into her newborn son's face – the son that she had housed for nine long months and the son who had kept her awake night after night with his constantly drumming feet.

She heard Daryl's chuckle in her ear then and she shook her head. "Well, I suppose Ethan was the one who had to be the silent one at birth!" She spoke and Daryl continued to chuckle as he pressed a kiss to Tessa's forehead.

"Tha' don' matter to me none, Tess! He's healthy and perfect and tha's all that matters!" He echoed as Tessa pushed back the blanket a little and found a tiny fist that immediately began to wave through the air before them. Breathless and in awe, Tessa gently held the tiny fist between two fingers. She felt Daryl's breathing catch in his throat as well as he gently ran a hand over the thick mess of wet black hair that covered his newborn son's head and Tessa swallowed hard as a few tears spilled from her eyes.

"Good Lord, your right, Daryl! He's as perfect as perfect could be! He's our perfect little Daniel _Dale_ Dixon!" She whispered in-between tears.

And then, not minutes after they had Daniel settled comfortably in their arms, another contraction hit - a big one.

Tessa immediately grimaced and Daryl hastily took his son from her arms and handed him gently off to Maggie as Carol moved quickly back over to them. "Don't worry, honey, it's probably just the afterbirth – nothing to be worried about -!"

She stopped abruptly, however, and her eyes widened in shock – shock that immediately had Daryl and Tessa's hearts thumping erratically in their chest. "What Carol - _what is it_?" Daryl found himself asking, his voice tenser than he had originally wanted to portray and Carol glanced at them before moving back down between her legs.

"Tessa, I have just a quick question before we get back down to business - do twins normally run in your family?"

The entire cellblock seemed to go silent at her words and it was as if a fell wind had blown through, taking everyone's breaths away with it. Both Daryl and Tessa had to blink a couple of times before the news fully found itself sinking in and everyone lingering outside the cell they were currently in, had mutters running up and down their ranks again. "Wait – did ya just say _twins_?" Daryl asked in abject shock and Carol nodded and opened her mouth to say something but found herself cut off when Tessa squeezed her eyes shut and allowed another scream to issue forth from her lips. Her hands latched back onto Daryl's as she did so, their fingers immediately entwining as her entire body went rigid. It took some quick, skillful maneuvering, but after a few couple of minutes, another baby was brought into the world.

Carol let out a slightly awed laugh. "It seems like you guys were blessed twice! You have a handsome baby boy and an absolutely _precious_ little girl!" She told them, a broad grin on her face as she wrapped this one in a blanket as well before handing her to them. She glanced over her shoulder at the people lingering in the entrance. "Hear that everyone? They have fraternal twins!" Everyone gasped in shock before letting out light, incredulous laughs as Daryl and Tessa took their daughter numbly into their arms. Daryl glanced at Carol.

"Can ya please make sure no more are comin'? 'Cause, I think I'm a bit too old to be chasin' after one or two more!" He asked wearily and Carol laughed, her eyes softening as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure no more are coming, Daryl. You can relax – it's just the two!"

His body was tense as he brought his eyes down onto the second baby nestled in Tessa's arms but his eyes immediately softened when his eyes connected with the baby girl's beautiful blue eyes. Unlike Daniel, the girl was absolutely silent, gazing up them with a keen stoicism that for a moment had Daryl chuckling. "It figures that ma daughter would be the one comin' out completely silent, eh?" He joked and Tessa grinned and laughed as Daryl ran a finger over the little girl's clenched fist. With remarkable alacrity, her tiny fist unfurled and she took ahold of his finger in a strong grip that had Daryl's chuckles immediately turning into full laughter.

"Oh, it seems ma little girl is gonna be like her deddy and big brother!" He remarked and Tessa grinned.

"Aayla Dae . . ." She murmured, almost to herself more than him, and Daryl furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he looked down at her.

"I thought it was gonna be Catherine Elizabeth?" He asked and she grinned and shook her head.

"It was, but . . . I think Aayla Dae Dixon suits her better. It was my grandmother's name, ya know, and it means Strong Warrior," She turned a smug look up onto him. "Suits her, don't ya think?" She asked, and Daryl grinned as he turned to accept his son as he was pressed into his arms by a softly smiling Maggie.

"So, we were expectin' one but got saddled with two – Daniel Dale and Aayla Dae . . ." He shrugged as he settled a soft, loving and adoration-filled look onto her. "I'll take 'em, Tess - _gladly_!"

* * *

"And would ya jus' _look _at the big beautiful blue eyes they 'ave, Tess!"

Tessa couldn't help but grin and laugh from over by her place in their bunk back in the guard office, Daryl sitting beside her with their babies cooing in-between them. But then again, it hadn't been hard for a grin to show up on Tessa's face at all, come to think of it. A grin had appeared on it since Daryl first carried her into the guard room, Wren and Beth walking in behind them carrying the babies. The grin had stayed on her face as Daryl immediately gazed down at their perfectly made children, the both of them warm and pink and soft from the womb. His keen blue eyes (the blue eyes that they seemed to have inherited) raked over his son and daughter's small forms, fatherly paranoia and fear causing him to count every finger and toe to make sure they had five on each limb; that they both had two ears and two eyes and a nose and a mouth and that they were all in the right place. Of course, Tessa had done the same first, when Daryl had been further situating their room for the two new additions, and of course he had to repeat the process anew.

Tessa nodded. "Yup; seems like the Dixon blue eyes are a rather dominant trait. Ethan got them too." Daryl grinned at her.

"Ya really wan' to talk 'bout dominant traits? What 'bout ya Indian black hair there? Good Lord, woman, let our kids get a shot at inheriting my gorgeous brown locks, why don' ya?" He asked good-naturedly and Tessa gave a slightly weary laugh as she shook her head in playful disbelief. She was glad he was still able to make her laugh, but she _was_ exhausted. She had slept earlier, after the birth itself and she had fed her children, but then had awake again to feed them again when they needed it. Without formula, she had to breast feed her children, something she hadn't done with Ethan, but this time around, she didn't mind it. She seemed to have enough milk for both of them and Daryl had promised her multiple times that if she ever did dry out, then he and Glenn would make a run into town for formula and that that was completely fine.

Dammit, Daryl seemed to be more on top of things than she was and she had done this before!

Her soft eyes flickered down onto her newborn son and daughter as Danny shuffled a yawn – a yawn that Aayla could not help but mimic seconds later. She smiled gratefully. Now, they were the ones dozing, ready to go off to sleep and for that, Tessa was glad. She wanted to sleep too – so very badly.

Daryl glanced at her and upon noticing how weary and exhausted she looked, got slowly and carefully to his feet from his spot on the bunk. He picked up each of his newborn babies in turn, where he deposited them as gently and carefully as he could, to the makeshift cradle on the floor that Beth, Wren and Carol had made out of all the old fabric they had lying around. It was a decent sized cradle and strong too for something made out of old cloth. They had thanked the three of them profusely, not knowing what they would have done if they had to sleep with the two babies in their bed.

He didn't want to disturb them as he lowered them into the cradle and apparently, he hadn't too badly, for as soon as they were laid down, they fell asleep with soft sighs and the occasional yawn. He smiled as he gazed down at them for a moment, still unable to fully reconcile the fact that as of a day ago, these two little bundles had been living inside Tessa for the past nine months, keeping her up all night, every night with their drumming feet. Seems he hadn't been kidding when he said "marching band".

"I _do_ think that you are in love, Daryl. You can't tear your eyes off them for nothing!" Tessa couldn't help but grin and Daryl shared her grin as he finally tore his eyes away from the twins and then climbed back onto the bunk beside her.

"Yeah, well, they're mine - one hundred percent - so I should be head-over-heels in love wit 'em, shouldn' I?" He asked her and Tessa merely gave a shrug as Daryl pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. "And I love _ya _for givin' 'em to me!" He broke apart then, a shit-eating grin on his face. "I couldn' 'ave done it without ya!" He told her and Tessa let out a snort of laughter as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, you bet your good-lookin' ass you couldn't! Kinda need a woman to have kids, Daryl – didn't you listen in health class?" She told him teasingly before planting a hand on his chest. "Now lay back, I'm exhausted!" Daryl did as he was told with a good-natured roll of his eyes, and immediately felt Tessa's head descend down onto his shoulder as her hand moved to lay on his chest. She let out an almost orgasmic groan of contentment as she lay there for a moment, half on him and half off, feeling her body come to a stiff, creaking rest around her. He laughed but she slapped him none-too-kindly on the chest and that quickly shut him up. "Shut up or be quiet! If you wake them up right now, I'm feeding you to whatever walkers are still left out there!" She threatened and Daryl gave a shrug.

"Well ya could certainly take ya pic . . . we left quite a few of 'em behind tha' fence . . ." He spoke thoughtfully and then chuckled when Tessa shot him a venomous look. His hand slid up to cup her cheek as he pressed his lips to hers. They kissed slowly and lovingly for a moment before Tessa broke away and returned her head to his shoulder. She let out another sigh of contentment as she closed her eyes. She felt him grin against her hair. "I suppose a 'thank you' is an inappropriate thing to give you right now?" He asked, and Tessa let out a bark of a laugh.

"You bet, Daryl, but its a start, I suppose. I just gave birth to two of your kids in under two hours, with absolutely no painkillers of any kid – not even a damn _Tylenol_! A 'thank you' is the last thing I want from you!" She smiled then and turned her gaze up to him, where her voice softened. "But I will take an 'I love you'."

Daryl returned her smile with one of his own as he leaned down slightly to kiss her again, her lips automatically molding to his as his hand slid into her hair to cup her head. When they broke apart, he whispered the words to her in a voice dripping with exactly the love and adoration and worship that he felt for her and for a moment, Tessa felt her heart stop and her breathing catch in her throat. When she replied to him that she loved him too, all she could remember was him telling her when they were younger, that he wasn't the loving type of man and always with a sneer on his face.

Oh, how far he has come since that brooding little kid in highschool. And for some reason, Tessa couldn't be prouder of him.


	39. Chapter 39

**Thanks for waiting patiently for this update. I've had various things happening the past few days that have been keeping me from updating too much and also because this chapter was pretty hard to write. It didn't want to get itself written and its also one of those dreaded filler chapters, hate to say it. Things will return to their normal dramatic selves next chapter :)**

**Once again, thanks to HermioneandMarcus for your continued support, as well as HumanDustbin for many PM'ing sessions. You guys keep me writing :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"Honey, no offense, but you look exhausted!"

The sarcastic 'what-do-you-think' look that Tessa sent Lori at her words, almost made Wren and Beth laugh. "I _am_ exhausted, Lor! Breastfeeding two babies – getting up in the wee hours of the morning every day _to _breastfeed the said two babies . . ." She shook her head wearily as she ran her fingers through her long black hair. "Daryl stays up with me as much as he can when he notices that I'm awake, but he knows I hate it. He has his own duties with the group and he needs whatever strength he can get for those duties. I suppose it's his own way of helping me with something that he's powerless to help me with to begin with, but still . . ." Lori nodded.

"At least he stays up with you. At least your not alone in this whole thing." She told her, her voice going quiet and Tessa turned an expressionless gaze up onto her friend.

"Are things still bad between you two?" She asked her and Lori hesitated in answering for a moment before eventually nodding.

"Yeah . . . he seemed to hate touching me before, but now . . . now, he won't even look at me." She spoke and Tessa, sensing there was something deeper (because there was _always _something deeper between Lori and Rick), smiled and turned a soft gaze onto Wren and Beth, who had been fawning over the freshly woken Danny and Aayla like two young girls would.

"Girls, would you mind go checking on the others for a moment? I have to talk with Lori about something." She told them and they nodded and shot the other woman comforting smiles before departing the room. Lori watched them go before letting out a snort of a laugh, a grin appearing on her face moments later.

"I'm starting to understand why Daryl calls you Momma Bear sometimes . . ." She told her and Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion then.

"What do you mean?"

"They look up to you. Hell, every kid here looks towards you as a mother figure aside from your own children. You took Wren underneath your wing and persuaded Daryl to look after Seth even though he clearly despises doing it. Beth adores you too and she talks to you about more things than she ever does with Hershel or Maggie. Carl . . ." She trailed off then, reluctant to admit that Carl looked towards Tessa more as a motherly figure than he did his own mother and Tessa stubbornly shook her head.

"Lori, _stop_! I know from personal experience that raising a child in this world is as hellish as the world itself is! You can't raise a child to be completely innocent anymore – it cannot be done! Carl's a sweet kid, with a good heart and all his intentions stem from goodness – _I _like think, anyway," She shook her head. "Raising Danny and Aayla in this world is terrifying for me - I'll be the first to admit it. And sometimes at night, when Daryl holds one of them while I feed the other, just the _look _in his eyes I see when he gazes down at them I can use to tell that it's terrifying for him too. This is his first time ever raising a kid, much less in the middle of the walker apocalypse! At least I had training by raising Ethan first!"

"And you don't . . ." Lori trailed off then, unsure if she wanted to ask what she really wanted to ask, and Tessa waited patiently for her friend to continue. When she finally did, it was after she swallowed heavily and summoned enough courage _to _ask her. "You don't . . . _regret _them at all?"

The words fell like a lead weight between them and while Tessa knew that Lori didn't mean for them to stab at her – that they were simply the manifestations of the expectant mother's own fears - she couldn't help but allow them to feel that way. Slowly, Tessa shook her head. "No . . . _never_. I love Daryl, Lori, and I love his children. It was . . . yeah, the news was shocking in the beginning and it sounds so fucking insane, but by the time they were born, we _really_ wanted them. Granted, we wanted them for different reasons, but we both wanted them all the same. Daryl wanted them because he was never there for Ethan and this was something of a second chance for him and I wanted them . . ." She trailed off then, thinking for a moment and when she spoke again, it was with a flippant shrug and a soft smile - a soft, loving smile that Lori wished to all Hell and back that she could get in her eyes whenever she talked about Rick. "I wanted them simply because they were Daryl's." Lori nodded.

"But how do you want something you don't even . . ." She swallowed hard then, tears wetting her eyes. "Tess, how do you want the child of a man you do not even love?" Tessa turned a sharp gaze onto her but immediately softened it before Lori could think any different of it than it already was. She didn't exactly know how to take that and no matter how hard she tried to keep it from showing up in her eyes, she could still see that Lori saw it. Hell, Tessa couldn't even _begin_ to say that she knew where Lori was coming from, because she didn't - she would never know where she was coming from, in fact. She loved Daryl – she _adored_ him, even and it was plain as day that Daryl felt the same about her. She could not even begin to fathom how she could ever not love any one of the children he had given her. She ended up weakly shaking her head.

"Lori, I don't . . . honey, I don't know what to even _begin_ to tell you about that!" She confessed to her, her eyes becoming sad as she reached forward and took her best friend's hand. Lori smiled a small smile and took it as Tessa ignored the slight twinge of pain that shot through her abdomen as she bent over a little quicker than she should have. She still ached and she still bled a little bit but she felt herself grow stronger every day. Hopefully she would be up walking around soon, for she felt useless just sitting there on the bunk in the guard office with her two newborn babies and only Beth and Wren for company until Daryl returned - whenever the Hell that was. Occasionally Lori, Carol and Maggie would come in to keep her company as well for a few hours, and Hershel and Ethan checked up on her on a daily basis when he wasn't out with Daryl. She wasn't lacking in any kind of friendship and company, but she was starting to get an itch of Cabin Fever, not being able to get up and do anything to keep her mind busy.

Tessa turned a keen gaze onto Lori then – a keen gaze that everyone in the group was starting to associate when Tessa would start to turn from her Momma Bear mode to her Den Mother mode. And if Lori was being honest, she had been happy to relinquish her former crown of Den Mother to her friend. Tessa had always been the stronger one of the two – she had survived the horrors of Merle Dixon, pulling a shard of Plexiglas out of her leg and then the birth of two twins. Tessa was _going _to survive this. The group needed a Den Mother who was guaranteed survival.

"Honey, is there . . . is there something else that's been bothering you - something other than Rick?" She asked her, her voice small and confidential and Lori nodded. Her eyes lingering on Danny and Aayla lying kicking and moving beside their mother in their loosely wrapped blankets and Tessa's eyes flickered to them as well briefly before moving back to Lori.

"It's . . . it's my baby. Tessa, I haven't felt anything! Whereas you were always complaining about Danny and Aayla moving and keeping you and Daryl up at night, I haven't had anything like that yet! I-I think I lost it."

"You haven't felt it move . . . at all?" She asked, her eyebrows arching in slight disbelief, and Lori nodded.

"Nothing . . . I've felt a whole lot of absolutely nothing. I haven't even felt any Braxton-Hicks. At first I thought it was exhaustion – malnutrition – but then I kept seeing you and you were always gripping your sides and your belly because they would constantly be moving and I . . ." She shrugged weakly then. "And you were as exhausted and malnourished as I was and here I was, feeling nothing while you had all this movement going on!" She glanced at her. "If we're all infected, Tessa, then so is the baby. Danny and Aayla – they're infected too, you know this." Tessa nodded solemnly.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I know. Daryl and I have talked about it." Lori nodded.

"Then you know that there is a distinct possibly that it _could _have died in the womb. What's if it's dead inside me? What if it rips me apart -?"

"Lori, _stop_!"

Lori trailed off when her friend's firm voice interrupted her and when she turned her wet eyes onto Tessa, she saw the firm strength shining behind them and she suddenly wanted to fall into her arms and sob. Sometimes, Lori felt like Tessa was the only one left in the group who still cared about her – who cared about whether she died or what she done. Tessa was her only cheerleader and she felt like she was also the only one who she could talk to and she would _listen_. Not Rick, who would look at her in thinly veiled disgust or anyone else who was too exhausted to listen. When Lori needed someone to lean on – someone to talk to – _Tessa _always made the time, no matter what situation they were in (except of course, the situation in question could kill them).

Tessa shook her head. "Lori, I thought like that too – honestly, I did! It bothered the _Hell _out of Daryl too, and finally, just to shut me up one night, he promised me that if anything like that happened, then he wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in my or our child's head," She shook her head. "He resented me so much for making him promise that - you have _no _idea, Lori! He refused to touch me for _days _afterwards and when he finally did, he made _me _promise never to ask him to do something like that again because he would never have the strength to do it!" Lori nodded and sniffed, drying some of her tears.

"Okay, then, say that it lives," She spoke, halfway ignoring Tessa's words and Tessa sent her a pleading look as Lori continued blithely on. "And I die during childbirth which could _really_, honestly happen, you know this!" She told her and Tessa shook her head, her voice firm.

"Lori, that's _not _going to happen -!"

Lori nodded, interrupting her friend. "Why the Hell not, Tess? Why not? Is it because _you _lived?" She shook her head and gave a dry, humorless laugh. "You're stronger than me, Tess - we've already come to this fact many times - its why Daryl relies on you so much for the strength he might not have at times. You survived because Daryl was there for you, you refused to die and because of some fluke stroke of luck, something managed to _not_ happen during the birth. But really, how many women died during childbirth before modern medicine?" She looked down then, feeling fresh tears appear in her eyes then. "If I come back . . . what if I attack it? What if I attack you, or Rick or Carl? If I do – if there is _any _chance that I can, then Tess, you or Daryl needs to put me down immediately! You don't hesitate, you understand? Me, the baby . . ." She trailed off then as more tears appeared in her eyes. "If we're walkers . . .you don't hesitate and you don't try to save us, okay? If you can't do it, then get Daryl to do it. I'm not you and the baby is not his," She told her. "He would do it easily - _gladly_, almost!"

Tessa sat there for the entire time Lori was speaking, a mournful look in her tear-filled eyes now. Their hands were gripping each other's so tightly that it was starting to hurt a little bit and when Tessa blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks, she finally nodded. Lori swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Hell, I don't know, it might have been better if . . ." She trailed off and Tessa's voice when she spoke was quiet and tear-filled.

"If what, honey?"

"If I never made it off the farm . . ." She spoke and Tessa immediately recoiled slightly.

"Lori, you're exhausted and terrified! You don't know what you are saying!" Lori nodded.

"Yeah, that's true," She freely admitted before turning a slightly more expressionless gaze onto her friend. "But my son can't stand me – not the way that Ethan loves and adores you. And my husband, after what I put him through, he . . ." She trailed off again, her eyes filling with tears even more and Tessa immediately knew where she was going with this next point. "He wishes that I was you instead of me - the woman he married. He sees how well your holding this group together – how jealous he is of the love your son holds for you – the utter loyalty and love that you have for Daryl and he . . ." She gave a shrug. "He wants that. He wants things that I cannot give him and I _hate _myself for that! And I have to admit that I can't help but be jealous of you too! Daryl loves and he worships you and he would fight through every circle of Hell for you and your children and Rick . . ." She trailed off, shrugging weakly, and Tessa shook her head again.

"Lori, we've all made mistakes. But we've survived them and things have been that way all winter – ever since we left the farm, in fact! He's just as exhausted as everyone else is and when you remember the fact that he's also the _leader_ of this group . . ." She trailed off and sighed before beginning again. "When things start going better and you give birth and you give him his child, things _will_ change, I promise!"

"How do I do that?" She asked her, her voice full of emotion. "He hates me, Tess. I see it, you see it - everyone sees it! He's too good of a man to say it, but I know he means it. I know and because of what I did with Shane, I put that knife in his hand and I can't stand living with that fact! I know that he wants my best friend instead of me – my best friend who would never give him the time of day because she is head-over-heels in love with the man she's already got, so please, Tess, tell me - how do I become _you_?"

Tessa fully recoiled at those words and immediately when she had spoken them, Lori must have realized what she said, for a stricken look appeared on her face. "I'm so sorry, Tess, I shouldn't have said that . . ." She broke down crying then and Tessa pursed her lips as she slowly, carefully moved to the edge of the bed, where she took her sobbing friend in her arms. She supposed she was a Saint (that's what Daryl called her, anyways, whenever she would relate these conversations back to him) for not holding anything that Lori told her against her, but she knew her friend was just talking out of the fear and jealousy and other emotions that had no good, healthy place with her.

"You know who doesn't give a shit about all that?" She asked her and Lori shook her head as she moved partially out of Tessa's embrace. "This baby . . ." Her hand moved to Lori's stomach and her friend couldn't help but let out a grin and a laugh. Tessa smiled. "You want me to send for Hershel . . .? So we can know that this baby is alright?" She asked and Lori continued to smile a small smile and nod.

"I don't know what I would ever do without you, Tess. Hell, I don't know what this entire group would do without you and Daryl." She told her and Tessa smiled.

"You guys would live, Lori, because sometimes, that's all we can do in this world. We fight to survive and then we learn to enjoy the many little things and cherish the extremely rare big things that this shithole of a new world gives us."

* * *

"There are ma two girls! And ma little boy too!"

Daryl grinned as Tessa slowly left the Guard Office, Aayla in her arms as Wren trailed slowly behind her carrying Danny. Hershel had said that she could start getting up and walking around but to take it extremely easy at first. That meant absolutely no heavy lifting and to take many long breaks in-between movements as she could. They had heard the commotion downstairs and went to see them off – the ones that were going to explore the rest of the prison, anyway, looking for that fabled armory, cafeteria and infirmary. Tessa couldn't help but return the grin as Daryl bounded up the stairs to meet her halfway so that she wouldn't have to risk the said stairs. Lori exited from the cell she was sharing with Carl as Daryl's hand moved to cradle her hip. He planted a loving kiss on the corner of her mouth and Tessa couldn't help but give a little laugh at the motion.

"You guys are about to leave?" She asked him and he nodded in reply, however, at the look of slight hesitation on her face, he adopted a soft look and moved to hold her close for a moment.

"I love ya guys and I'll be back as soon as we can, I promise." He told her and Tessa nodded.

"I know . . . you always do." She told him and he replied with a smile as he placed another loving kiss on her lips before planting the same on Danny and Aayla's foreheads. Over his shoulder, Tessa could see the slightly awkward look that Rick and Lori shared over the second-floor balcony and for a moment, Tessa clung to Daryl, making it seem like a moment of temporarily weakness so that he would support her for just a moment longer, instead of coming right out and saying that it was her being a tad insecure.

"You guys be careful out there, okay? You don't know what's out there." She told him and Daryl nodded slowly, his face expressionless but his eyes searching as he ran them over her face. His heart twisted when he saw how different she looked compared to how she did. Her thick ebony hair was pulled back into a messy bun behind her head and her eyes were still exhaustion ringed and slightly sunken. Her normally vibrant olive-colored skin was slightly pale but Hershel assured him that all that would go away the more she started healing and regaining her strength and that pretty soon, she'd be back to the same glowing woman he knew and loved.

"We will, don't worry. Ethan and Seth are staying here too with Carl. I didn't think it would be good you worrying for the both of us." She knew he meant him and Ethan and Tessa smiled gratefully and nodded.

"Thank you, baby . . .!" She whispered to him and Daryl smiled a small smile and nodded as he hugged her close for a moment. When he slowly pulled away, he brushed his hands against the soft, downy heads of his children and then left through the gate after the rest of the group after ruffling Ethan's hair like he always did.

Life would never be the same afterwards.


	40. Chapter 40

**Another chapter that did not want to get written. I'm starting to get a little tad tired of these hard chapters :(**

**Thank you HermioneandMarcus for your continued fidelity, I love ya :)**

**HaloHunter89: I kinda feel bad for Lori too and that's how I wanted this to come out - I wanted there to be friction between Tessa and Lori because of the differences between their two men and I am SO happy that I was successful. I think that was the last heart-to-heart between them too for obvious reasons, so I hoped you enjoyed it :)**

**And yeah, I'm sorry I left you guys on a cliffhanger last chapter, can maybe promise it won't happen again ;)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Daryl was pretty sure his life was about to take a swan-dive down the shitter. That or it was about to become really, really complicated.

Not only were they dealing with a bitten and amputated Hershel quickly dying on their hands, but they also had five pretty dangerous looking inmates glaring at them through the chain-linked screen covering the cafeteria kitchen. Of course Daryl was the first to see them – he was the first to see everything in this group, it seemed – and luckily, Rick and Glenn didn't ask any questions when he hissed at them to duck. He quickly got to his feet and after he firmly turned his crossbow onto them, asked:

"Who the Hell are ya?"

"Who the Hell are you?" One of them called back and Daryl found his teeth gritting in anger as Rick's voice temporarily drowned out his thoughts and almost made him turn around to see what was happening.

"He's bleeding out; we gotta go back." He heard Rick speak behind him before glancing at Glenn. "Come around here. Press on the knee – _hard_!" He ordered him and Glenn nodded as Maggie jumped to help him, her face going a little green at the sight of her father's amputated leg. Daryl remained with his crossbow pointed dead-bang at the five inmates.

"Why don' ya'll come on out of there . . .?" He told them and one of them nodded to the others as they slowly exited the cafeteria, a man of Mexican descent leading the small group. He nodded towards Hershel lying on the ground behind him and Daryl wisely made his head the one his crossbow followed as they filed out into the open. "Yeah, that's right – slow and steady!"

"What happened to him?"

"He was bitten." Daryl answered with no hesitation but tensed when the man moved to pull out his gun. However, by the clicking of T-Dog releasing his pistol's safety, he knew he wasn't alone and for some reason, that made him grateful. Daryl might be good, but he couldn't take on five prison inmates just by himself.

At least, _he _didn't think he could do it.

"Hey, hey, hey, easy now – all of ya'll!" He spoke up. "I'm a fuckin' surgeon with this crossbow and I 'ave ya in ma sights, so I'd think twice 'bout makin' another move towards him!" As Rick told a tearful Maggie what to do, Glenn was already on his feet and pushing past the inmates towards the cafeteria where they had come from. The inmates switched their attentions from T-Dog and Daryl, to the Asian who had pushed past them with no thought for his own safety.

"You guys have any medical supplies?"

"Hey, what is he doin'?"

"Nothin' ya need to be worried 'bout!" Daryl fired back and by the look of anger that appeared in the leader's eyes, Daryl could tell they were going to be butting heads quite a lot in the next upcoming moments.

Walkers snarled and banged on the doors from whence they had come and the inmates eyes widened at the sound and the sight of the door bowing underneath their beating fists, however, it didn't give away due to the iron poker they had slid through the handles.

"Who the Hell are you guys anyway?" The leader of the inmates asked and one of the others craned his head to watch as they slowly got Hershel to his feet.

"They don't look like any rescue team." He spoke and Rick glanced at him as they heard a clatter come from the kitchen, signaling that something had been tipped over, spilling its contents to the floor.

"If you guys are waiting for a rescue team, then don't bother!" He told them as Glenn wheeled out a metal table that would serve as a makeshift gurney. "Come on guys, we gotta go!" Rick yelled at them and T-Dog and Daryl nodded.

"We'll be behind ya watchin' ya back." Daryl told him, his eyes still on the five inmates and Rick nodded as T-Dog ran to slide the poker out of the handles. A walker immediately moved inside and T-Dog took it down as Rick and the others quickly rolled Hershel out of there, T-Dog and Daryl carefully taking up the rear. The Mexican's angry eyes stayed on Daryl's the entire time – both men holding the other in their sights.

* * *

"Open the door!"

"He's losing too much blood!"

"Tessa – get a bunk ready!" Daryl roared out as he reached his hand through the bars to quickly unlock the gate. He slid it open and the look of unadulterated confusion on everyone's faces immediately turned to unadulterated shock when they saw Hershel lying on the metal cart, his leg amputated below his knee.

"_Shit_! Ya heard the man – go get the bunk ready in the cell closest to the door!" Tessa told them and Carol and Lori nodded and hurried to do what she said. Her eyes fell onto Beth's at that moment and at the look of wide-eyed shock on the young girl's face, Tessa quickly darted over to her. She didn't know if was the adrenaline flowing through her or what, but she found she could move faster now and with much less pain in her lower extremities. "Beth, honey, here – give me Danny!" She told her and Beth glanced at her and nodded as she quickly handed the newborn over to his mother before darting down the stairs to Maggie's crying side, tears quickly filling her eyes as well as she gazed down at her unconscious father.

"Deddy, what happened?" Ethan quickly asked as him and Seth appeared on the second floor landing and both of their eyes widened in shock at what they saw. Daryl glanced up at his son as they wheeled Hershel into the closest cell, Rick shouting for everyone to get him on the bed.

"He got bit!" Rick announced and everyone immediately started talking at the same time as Rick and Daryl helped move him onto the bed.

"Tessa . . .!"

Tessa turned to Wren and Seth. "Both of you take Danny and Aayla and return them to the office. Wren, you sit there with them while we're doing this and Seth, you return to us as soon as you can – we might need your help!" The two of them nodded quickly as Tessa handed Danny to Seth and they quickly turned around and headed back towards the office. Tessa heard her name being shouted again as she turned back around and with the help of Ethan, made her way down the stairs as quickly as she could.

"Ya sure this isn' overwhelmin' ya, momma?" Ethan asked her worriedly, and Tessa shook her head when they reached the bottom floor.

"You don't have to worry about me, Ethan, I'm fine," She told him and he nodded as they appeared in the doorway of the cell. Everyone except Carl seemed to be crowded in the tiny room and she could see by everyone talking at the same time, combined with Carol's shouting at Maggie and Lori what she needed, that Rick's already fraying nerves were quickly come to their breaking point. Tessa's teeth gritted and she closed her eyes, summoning up the strength to do what she had to do. "_Everybody _– _calm_ the _fuck_ down!"

Everyone immediately went silent and froze except for Carol when her loud voice split the silence and she stood there for a moment, allowing a wave of slight weariness to ride through her body then. Daryl appeared beside her and his hand flattened against her lower back – a loving, strengthening gesture that she appreciated more than anything at that moment.

"The _only _people that need to be in here, is Carol, Maggie and Lori and that is because Maggie and Lori are helping her. Everyone else needs to _leave _and find something to occupy yourselves! They can't work to save his life if they are hopelessly cramped and don't even have room to breathe properly themselves!" Everyone nodded and anxiously filed out of the cell, earning relieved, thankful looks from Rick, Carol, Maggie and Lori. Daryl moved aside to let them leave, his hand disappearing from her back and Beth chose that time to come up to her, tears filling her eyes.

"Tess, I don't know -!"

"Beth, honey, shush!" Tessa told her as she placed her hands on her shoulders, where the young girl immediately quieted down some. Tessa gave her a smile. "Wren is up in the office taking care of Danny and Aayla while we do this. Would you be so kind as to go join her? She could really use the help!" Seth had returned by then, appearing by Ethan's side and Beth glanced at him before nodding and sniffing.

"Y-Yeah, I can go do that. Will you come get me if anything happens?" She asked, a hopeful look appearing in her eyes, and Tessa nodded as she smiled gently and wiped away a tear brimming at the corner of her eye.

"Of course, honey - I promise!"

"O-Oh God – I need bandages - lots of bandages!" They heard Carol call frantically from the cell as she unwrapped the hopelessly bloody bandage already around his knee and Tessa looked away as Daryl's hand reappeared on the small of her back, turning her to gaze at him.

"Ya okay, babydoll?" He asked her worriedly and she firmly nodded.

"Right now I am. I'll probably regret all this movement later tonight, but for right now, I'm okay and _right now_, that's what we need." Daryl nodded in agreement as he pressed a loving kiss to her forehead before gesturing for Ethan and Seth to follow him back into the room they had come through. Tessa grabbed ahold of his arm then, keepin him from leaving and when their eyes crossed, he noticed that hers were firm and searching.

"What's going on Daryl?" She asked him, her voice quiet, and Daryl sighed and gestured for her to follow them into the other room, Seth and Ethan grabbing up their weapons as they did so.

"We used everything we had!" They heard Glenn shout and Carol shouted back to go get anything – _everything _– that they could use.

They entered the room, still hearing the frantic words of Carol and everyone else in the cell trying to patch up Hershel but the sound of Daryl dropping the keys on the table drowned out all of that. He loaded his crossbow and with one leg hiked up on the bench, wasted no time in pointing it right at the entrance leading to the room. Tessa's eyes grew wide as Seth and Ethan shared nervous glances and did the same.

"Daryl, _what _happened?" She asked and Daryl glanced at her before returning his eyes onto the darkened entrance way. He explained to her how they had gotten split up in the tunnels and that Hershel had gotten bitten when they were trying to regroup. They had stumbled into a room and were busy trying to save his life when they noticed five inmates were in the same room with them as well. They amputated Hershel's leg and while they were on their way back, they noticed that the inmates were following them. By the time he was done with his explanation, Tessa wasn't the only one whose eyes were wide with horror - Ethan and Seth's were too.

"Oh my God, baby, are we going to be okay?" She asked him but he quickly shushed her when sounds could be heard softly reverberating against the concrete walls of the corridors beyond. Seth and Ethan tensed by their gazes remained steadily on the opened gateway, the same as Daryl's. He heard Tessa swallow hard as she moved to stand behind him.

It didn't take long for the Mexican to walk carefully into view, followed closely behind by the rest of his inmate friends. Their eyes went wide at the sight of three armed men waiting for them and immediately froze. Their eyes then settled onto Tessa then and she vaguely felt her skin crawl underneath a few of their gazes as she moved closer to Daryl.

"That's far enough."

It took the three of them a moment to realize that Daryl had been the gruff voice that spoke and that he, along with Ethan and Seth, were carefully following their movements as they all came into view.

"That's Cell Block C that you and your _chica_ there and the rest of your posse are holed up in," The Mexican spoke as his lip curled slightly. "Cell four – that's mine, gringo." Daryl's lip curled in distaste as well.

"Ya _really_ wanna yank ya dick out and start measurin' with the race card? 'Cause I can garun-damn-tee ya that I have more racial slurs for ya – _wetback _– than ya _ever _will for me!" He gave a laugh then at the angry look that flashed across his face then. "But I suppose today is your lucky day too, fellas – ya'll 'ave been pardoned by the great state of Georgia – ya'll free ta go!"

"What do ya got going on in there?" One of the African American men standing there asked, his eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion and interest as he nodded towards the gate. Daryl glanced at Tessa.

"Tha's none of ya concern. Babydoll, go on and go back in - shut tha' gate behind ya." He told her and Tessa gave him a stricken look.

"Daryl, I don't know -!"

"Babydoll . . . _go_!" He interrupted him, putting particular emphasis on the word 'go' and it took her a minute to realize that he was telling her to go and get Rick. She nodded hurriedly and quickly moved for the gate, Seth making sure he was covering her as she slid the gate open and closed as soon as she had slipped inside. The Mexican grinned.

"Ya got yaself an old lady or something, _gringo_? Ya _chica _seems to be limping a little there." He spoke and Daryl's face remained expressionless, as did Ethan's, although he could tell that the anger that washed violently through his body, also washed as violently through his son's.

"She jus' gave birth to our two kids – _Mexcrement_. And I'd mighty appreciate it if ya didn' bring her up again. Ya never know, my finger might jus' . . . _slip _and ya might jus' find yaself with an arrow buried in ya balls . . ." The Mexican's look of rage almost had a bolt of fear going up Daryl's spine, especially when he took a threatening step towards him, withdrawing his pistol as he did so but a combination of Daryl, Seth and Ethan immediately tensing at the sudden movement, their sights definitely landing onto him, and one of the other inmates – the biggest one there – speaking, stopped anything from happening.

"Don't be acting this way Tomas – what's it matter? And besides, we're free now! What are we doing here?" He asked and Daryl nodded.

"Man's got a point." He spoke and one of the other men there nodded.

"Yeah, I gotta go check up on my old lady, man!"

"A group of civilians breaking into a prison they got no business being in," He gave a shrug then. "Got me thinkin' that there's no place for us _to _go." Daryl's teeth gritted in anger and his grip on his crossbow tightened them.

"Ya should go find out." He replied, his voice returning to the same gruff sound it had been earlier and another inmate immediately spoke up.

"I think we should just be going now -"

"Hey, we ain't going anywhere!" The Mexican – Tomas – interrupted him with an outstretched hand, and his eyes pinned on Daryl's again. "This is my house, these are my rules and I go where I damn well please!"

Rick had entered the room then, followed closely by T-Dog and Daryl, Seth and Ethan had to visibly restrain themselves from letting out a breath of relief. He pinned the inmates with a look of loathing as he moved to stand beside Daryl.

"Everybody needs to relax – there's no need for this!" He immediately spoke up, causing everyone to stop speaking. Tomas nodded towards the gate from where he had so recently come.

"How many of you are back there?" He asked and Rick turned on him a face filled with a challenge.

"There are too many for you to handle." He told him and they could tell these words made a shiver of nervousness go up their spines. Tomas glanced at Daryl again.

"You guys rob a bank or something? Why don't you take him to a hospital?" He asked and they all shared expressionless looks – ones that the inmates couldn't read but they damn well could. Rick pursed his lips then and heaved a sigh.

"How long have you guys been locked in that cafeteria?" He asked, his voice going quiet and Tomas glanced at them all again.

"About ten months," He answered and everyone went silent until the big guy spoke again.

"A riot broke out. We had never seen anything like it."

"You ever seen guys go crazy, become cannibal and die and come back to life?" Another asked before shaking his head. "The shit that was happening was crazy."

"A guard looked out for us," Tomas spoke up again. "He locked us in the cafeteria, told us to sit tight and threw me the gun. He told us that he would be right back."

"We've been thinking that the Army or the National Guard should be showing up any day now." Another spoke up, his tone deep and diplomatic. He seemed like one of the calmer ones – not at all like the guy who was stupidly choosing to stand there with his gun drawn after having four guns and a crossbow pointed on him.

"There is no Army," Rick spoke up, his voice sounding almost apologetic in a way.

"What do you mean?" It was Tomas again.

"There's no government, no hospitals – no police. It's all gone."

"Are you for real?" One of the inmates asked in disbelief and Rick nodded.

"I'm completely serious."

"What about my mom?" The big inmate asked again, an almost scared look appearing in his eyes and a couple of the other inmates nodded in agreement.

"What about my kids?" The diplomatic one asked, a worried look appearing on his face. "What about my old lady, too? What's done happened to them?" He took a step forward. "You guys got a cell phone or something that we can call our families?" He asked and Rick shook his head as Daryl took a small step forward, his gaze training on the new guy instead of Tomas for once.

"You guys don' get it, do ya?" Daryl asked, feeling so very thankful that he had Tessa, Ethan and the twins now, by simply judging the confused, worried and scared looks on these inmates' faces when they thought of everything being gone – including their families. "There's no phones and no computers. Hell, at least as far as we can see, at least half of the population has been wiped out, maybe more." Daryl slowly lowered his crossbow then, Ethan and Seth doing the same when he noticed that Tomas was slowly – almost in a daze – was lowering his pistol.

"There ain' no way that's true!" Tomas spoke and Rick gestured to the door with a look of loathing appearing on his face again.

"Don't believe us – go see for yourself."

* * *

Daryl would have been lying if he said he wasn't grateful that Rick was now receiving most of Tomas's ire. It felt good to not have a potential mass murderer wanting your head on a pike, although by all accounts, Daryl was probably number two on the Mexican's Shit List if he ever managed to get lucky and do something to Rick.

After leading the inmates outside, where they could see the walkers banging on the chain-link fences surrounding them, as well as the dead they had created on their way in, they noticed a changed in Tomas. After explaining to them that they were all infected – that they would all eventually die and come back as one of the freaks either lying dead at their feet or surrounding them, an expressionless look appeared on Tomas's face as he moved over to Rick.

"Where did you guys come from?" He asked and Rick glanced at him.

"Atlanta." Tomas nodded.

"Where are ya headed?" He asked as he made his way over to him and Rick turned to face him.

"For now – we're going nowhere." He answered him, his voice coming out firm and brooking no argument. Tomas nodded as he turned around to gaze out across the yard. Eventually, he pointed to the area near the creek.

"I guess you guys can take the area by the water . . ." He spoke and the other inmates could see the bark of a laugh that the men standing opposite them were fighting to hold back. "It should be comfortable down there." Rick nodded, the corners of his mouth threatening to twitch upwards into a smile.

"We're using that field right there for crops."

"We'll help ya move ya gear out."

"That won't be necessary," Rick answered him, getting tired of the man's ambivalence towards whatever he said. "We took out all these walkers – this prison is ours."

"Now, slow down cowboy -!" Tomas began but was interrupted by one of the other inmates.

"You're damn right - you guys smashed the locks off our doors!" That time, Rick did let out a laugh.

"We can give you guys new locks if that's what ya wanting."

"This is _our _prison!" Tomas told him, his voice growing firmer and still, Rick stood his ground. "We were here first!"

"Locked in a broom closet?" Rick asked them, his eyebrows rising upwards in a 'What-the-Hell-are-you-talking-about?' look. "We took it and set you free – it's ours! For the love of God, we _spilt blood_!"

"We're moving back into our cell block." Tomas told him stubbornly and Rick gave a laugh and shook his head.

"That ain't happening." He spoke and when Tomas pulled his gun causing everyone to pull his gun as well, Daryl found himself wondering if he had ever gotten a day of peace in his life since this whole thing started.

"There _are _other cell blocks, Tomas." One of the inmates spoke up after a moment, his pleading eyes on Tomas as he took their side and Daryl couldn't help but snarl:

"Or ya guys could _leave_! Try your luck out on the road like we did. That would work jus' as well."

Everyone went silent then and Tomas' eyes flickered on everyone, holding their gazes for a moment. When he realized that Rick or anyone else from his group was not about to back down from this, he swallowed hard (what Daryl assumed was the asshole's gargantuan pride) and gestured to the rest of the inmates surrounding him.

"These guys are pussies. If you guys did this, then the least we could do is take out another cell block."

"With what, dare I ask?" One of them asked, his eyebrow cocking in slight condescension and Tomas leveled his gaze with Rick.

"Boss will spot us some weapons, won't you?" He asked and Rick held his gaze for a moment before asking the crucial question.

"Now that depends . . . how stocked is that cafeteria of yours? What, four, five guys lasting a year on it? It has to still be plenty stocked."

"Yeah and it doesn't seem that none of them are starvin', so I bet ya it is!" Daryl all but snapped, immediately remembering the look of Tessa's ribs as she took off her shirt the previous night to replace it with a clean one - the feel of them as Daryl pressed his lips to every single one of them. Hell, he could probably lift up Wren and Ethan's right then and you could probably see their ribs as well. And eventually, when the twins started wanting to eat more than just their mother's milk, food would become scarcer and eventually, their tiny little ribs would start to show as well. Rick nodded and Daryl knew that he was thinking the same thing.

"There's only a little left." Tomas spoke, his voice quiet for the first time since they met the guy and Rick shrugged.

"Then give us half of that. If ya do, then we'll be more than happy to help ya clear out a cellblock. We have children and pregnant women that desperately need the food." He told them and another inmate – a short African American man that was really starting to grate on Rick and Daryl's nerves, spoke up, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Didn't you hear him? There's only a little left!" Rick gave another shrug.

"I bet you got more food than you do choices right now," He spoke and they could tell that the realization was slowly sinking in with the inmates. "We'll pay if you play. You give us food for our women and children – then we'll clear you out a cell block and you keep to it." Tomas nodded.

"All right . . ." He spoke and Rick stepped a little closer to him.

"But let's be absolutely clear, okay? If we see you anywhere out here – anyway _near_ our people – Hell, if we even so much as catch a _whiff _of your scent . . . me and that bad-boy there with the crossbow won't hesitate to kill you, you understand?" Tomas gazed at him for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face.

"Deal."


	41. Chapter 41

**Yay, some more friction between Tessa and Lori that culminates in them majorly butting heads! And Seth _actually _says more than a few words to someone for once! And more Daryl and Tessa fluff!**

**God, I can't wait until I can write another lemon for them two :/**

**As always, thanks be to HermioneandMarcus for your support :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Tessa had underestimated how badly people in the group needed her, until they had commenced to saving Hershel.

"Tessa, we need more bandages!"

"Tessa, what do we do about this?"

"Tessa, we _need _you!"

Tessa . . . Tessa . . . Tessa . . .

Her head burned with a migraine and her eyes burned as well with exhaustion. Her body ached and throbbed with pain from moving so much when she had promised Hershel and Daryl that she would take it easy, so when a hand slid across her shoulders, she reflexively moved to lean against the body that hand belonged to (Damn Daryl for that reflex! She found herself cursing). "Tess, are you alright?" Seth's voice came worriedly above her and her eyes grew slightly wide when she turned her eyes up to the tall, handsome boy that seemingly towered above her. After swallowing heavily, she nodded. Daryl had told him and Ethan to return to the cellblock to tell the others what was going on and Tessa would be lying if she said she wasn't thankful for their return. Somehow, they being left behind in the cellblock with only Glenn and Carl as protection, wasn't that comforting.

"Y-yeah . . . I'll live. Where are Wren and Beth – are they okay?" Seth nodded to the office behind them. They saw shadows flickering behind the slightly dirty windows and she knew they belonged to the two girls.

"They're still up there with the babies. Your right – focusing on them is allowing them to take their minds off of what is going on down here. Good call." Tessa nodded.

"I told you guys it was a good call, didn't I? What about Ethan?" She asked and he nodded towards the gate they had come through.

"Guarding the gate like Daryl told him to." He answered and Tessa nodded before she swallowed heavily and quickly latched onto his shoulder. She collapsed a little then, her knees buckling underneath her and Seth's other arm immediately came up to wrap around her waist, keeping her steady.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa – take it easy Tess!" He spoke before barking for Ethan. Ethan's eyes latched onto them at Seth barking his name and his eyes immediately went wide. He quickly took off at a run for them, skidding to a stop beside them as he helped to support his mother.

"Momma, what's wrong?" He asked and Tessa shook her head as she fought to control the exhaustion marching through her body.

"I'm fine – I'm fine! I just . . . I felt faint all of a sudden . . ." She turned her eyes onto Ethan then and held them for a moment before glancing at Seth. "I need you boys to do something for us – you boys and Carl and for the love of God, do not tell Lori!" She spoke and the two of them nodded as she heaved a sigh. "We need antibiotics and more bandages – we need _a lot _of things. I need you three to go find the infirmary. It shouldn't be far from us. Go and try and find -"

"We got food!" T-Dog announced and Carl ran to go get the gate as him and Rick, arms full of food, entered the cellblock. At Tessa's quick urging, Ethan and Seth helped her quickly to her feet as the two men brushed past her. While T-Dog didn't spare her a second glance, Rick cast her a slightly inquiring look before stopping at the cell they had Hershel in. "We've got canned beans, canned corn, canned everything!"

"How is he?" Rick asked and Lori nodded.

"We've stopped the bleeding but his breathing is labored and his pulse is way down." She told him and Rick nodded as he turned around, his back to her.

"Take my cuffs and cuff him to the bed." He told her, a note of finality in his tone and Lori blinked at him for a moment before taking them from his pocket and handing them to Glenn. Rick then turned to Tessa after dropping off the sacks of food he was carrying in the free cells that T-Dog had dumped his boxes of cans, and shot her a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, Tess, Daryl's fine. He's with the others."

"The others? You mean those inmates?" She asked him, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion as she felt a twinge of fear in her heart. Her grip on the two boys on either side of her, tightened slightly. Rick's lips pursed slightly before he nodded.

"Tess, we've reached an agreement with them. They promised -!"

"Promises ain't nothin' in this new world, Rick, you know that!" She reminded him, her tone going firm as her eyes glazed over with anger. "And that damned Tomas had his eye on Daryl the entirety they were in that room together! You don't know what he was in here for – what all of them were in here for! By the time you and T-Dog get back they could have . . . could have . . ." She trailed off, feeling herself grow weak again and Seth and Ethan immediately moved to catch her and support her again. Rick opened his mouth to say something – to assure her that, that couldn't possibly be true, but Lori approaching them caught his attention.

"So what about those prisoners?" She asked him and Tessa pinned him with an almost sarcastic look of interest. Lori's eyebrows furrowed in slight concern when she saw how Ethan and Seth were holding her but passed it by when Rick spoke.

"We're gonna help them clear out their own cellblock and then they'll be there and we'll be here." He told them and Lori nodded as Tessa heaved a sigh.

"We'll be living beside each other, you mean?" She asked and Rick sighed as he moved in closer to his wife.

"Look, I'm not giving up this prison – the both of you know that!" He spoke, his voice hushed as he moved to hold both their gazes. Lori nodded as she bowed her head whereas Tessa held his gaze unflinchingly. Eventually, Lori spoke again.

"Do they have guns?"

"I only saw one," Rick answered her and this time, Lori brought up her eyes to gaze at him as he rubbed his face with his hands. The next thing he said was directed towards Tessa and Lori knew that was him asking the opinion of the Den Mother. However, she hung around despite this and after casting Lori a wayward glance, Rick continued on with what he was going to say. "I . . . I don't know if this is going to work . . ." He told her and Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"What are your options?"

Rick and Tessa turned slightly surprised gazes onto Lori when she spoke and Rick shrugged as he placed his hands on his hips and moved to face her. "Kill them?" Lori nodded then, her eyes flickering onto Tessa's, who ever-so-slightly nodded in agreement at what she was thinking. In fact, everyone in the group was thinking it.

"If that's what you think is best . . . then you do it." Lori told him and Rick gave a laugh.

"Y-You guys say this now?" He asked as his eyes fell onto Tessa's. "What happened to you advocating caution back at the farm with Randall?" He asked and Tessa rolled her eyes.

"I've got babies now, Rick. Ethan can take care of himself and so can Seth. Wren, you give her a gun and give her a target and she's a pretty damn good shot too thanks to Seth! But Danny and Aayla . . . they're babies, Rick - _newborn_ babies! I can't have anyone around them who has the potential to be an enemy. It's simply not happening. If you can allow them to live, then great – I'm not going to put a price on a human life – but if there is even the _slightest_ chance that they could turn on you, then you need to put them down!" Her gaze hardened then. "I can guarantee you that Daryl already knows that and he's more than prepared to do it. We already know what family means to him." Rick nodded, taking her answer as his eyes fell onto Lori and waited for hers. The woman rolled her eyes and sighed as she hooked a hand underneath his elbow and dragged him away so that they could talk more in private. The three of them watched them go and it was then that they heard Carol shout for Tessa again. Tessa nodded as Seth and Ethan slowly let her go, stepping away fully when they saw she could balance herself on her own feet again.

"What do ya want us to do, momma?" Ethan asked, his voice low and inquiring, and Tessa nodded as she gazed at him and then Seth in return.

"I want you two and Carl to go find the infirmary. You do it quickly and you take no chances, you understand?" Seth nodded as she turned to Ethan. "You guys do it silently but quickly – like Daryl taught you two, okay? And if there is even the _slightest _chance that it is too much for you to handle – if the infirmary is too far away or if it's too much of a hot spot, then you come back, understand?" Ethan nodded then too and after pulling him into a tight hug and pressing a kiss to his forehead, pushed him away. Ethan hissed for Carl to join them as the three of them ran silently towards the gate on the other end of the hall, Seth running after them after he shot Tessa an assuring glance.

"Tessa – we need you!"

Tessa released the long held in breath she had been holding before she nodded at Carol's shouted words. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Hold your horses!"

* * *

The three of them returned an hour or two later, all three of them holding leather bags stocked to the gills with medical supplies. Lori was the only one who held a slightly alarmed gaze as the three boys dropped the bags to the floor and as Carl began explaining that they had gone out in search of the infirmary. They had found it with relatively little trouble, putting down two walkers on the way there and then had stockpiled as much as they could carry before they headed back. Ethan and Seth had stayed silent the entire time, only nodding in agreement when they had to.

"You guys went out by yourselves?" Lori asked as Carol snatched up a roll of gauze and moved to wrap Hershel's leg, no questions asked, as Tessa brought Ethan and Seth into an ecstatic hug. Carl gave a half-shrug and nodded. "Are the three of your crazy?" She then asked, her eyes settling on each of them and Tessa immediately moved to interject herself.

"Lori, look, it's not Carl's fault. I told Ethan and Seth to go and to take Carl with them," Lori's eyes widened in shock and slight betrayal as she gazed up at her friend and Tessa continued quickly on, shaking her head as she done so. "We were losing him and the three of them were standing around doing nothing but twiddling their thumbs! Ethan and Seth know what they are doing and so does Carl! They were more than enough of a force to do it and I told them that if for any reason they didn't think they would be able to do it, then for them to come running back."

"Yeah, mom, it was no big deal. We only killed two walkers." Carl spoke up and Lori turned her shocked gaze onto her son again.

"Okay, do you guys see this?" Lori asked them as she gestured to Hershel breathing heavily before them. "This was with the _whole_ group!" She turned her eyes onto Tessa then. "And Tess, I understand that Ethan is Daryl's son and that automatically gives him some ungodly power dealing with walkers, but that does not go the same way for Seth or my son! So please, before you make decisions like that again – consult with the other people here!" Tessa opened her mouth to say something – to snap back at her – but Carl and Seth both interrupted her, their voices angry.

"We needed supplies mom, and we got them!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't care _who _you think you are, but I will listen to Tessa over you any day of the week!"

Seth's voice was the one that caught everyone's attention the most and the seventeen-year-old gave a wry laugh then as everyone turned their attention onto the normally silent young man. "I'm sorry and I might be grossly speaking out of line here, but who exactly do you think you are? You all but relinquish the reins of "domestic" power to Tess, but then turn around and try to grab them back when she gives orders that you don't like – during an _extremely_ stressful situation that didn't leave her with a lot of options!" He spoke, his fingers doing quotation marks when he spoke the word, 'domestic'. "And let me remind you, sweetie, that your husband issues orders every day that various people around here have a problem with. However, they don't speak up because they know that Rick is the leader and what he orders is for the good of the group. _This_," He gestured, rather condescendingly, to the three leather bags filled with medical supplies lying in the middle of the group hunched around them. "Was for the good of the group! Granted, we didn't _want _to do it, but we knew we had to or we'd be risking the one man who's the closest thing to a doctor that this group has – which is a pretty important person, in case you haven't realized! Now, I get you being angry that Carl went – he's your son, after all and Tessa should have maybe told you she was sending him – but _please_! Remain angry at him, _not _two people that are not even your kids and _not _at Tessa for making a decision that you _never _would have been able to make and if you had to, might have cost us Hershel!"

Seth left the group then in a huff, his booted footsteps pounding against the concrete walls of the prison and Tessa quickly pushed Ethan off in his direction, whispering for him to go after him and make sure he that didn't do anything stupid. Ethan nodded and ran after him as Tessa crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned her eyes onto Lori. The other woman's tear-filled eyes were pinned on hers and Tessa gave a weak shrug of her shoulders.

"I-I made a call, Lori. He's right, I should have maybe left Carl out of it, but I made a call – a call that ended up being the correct one, by the looks of it!" She told her, trying to feebly explain herself and Lori nodded as she brushed away the tears filling her eyes.

"Your right . . . the both of you are right, Tess. You made a decision that clearly needed to be made and it turned out to be a good one at that. You've always made the good decisions. Explain to me again, though, how you and your little family are so Goddamn _perfect_!" She snapped as she threw down the gauze pad she had been holding and got to her feet, where she marched off in a huff, her shoulder hitting Tessa's with unnecessary force.

"Lori -!"

"Let her go, Tess, let her go!" Glenn urged her gently as he stepped in front of her, where he kept her from walking after her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Tessa glanced at him before shaking her head.

"I'm gonna go . . . gonna go lay down for a moment, okay? I'm exhausted - been up on my feet all day . . . I hurt a little . . ." She muttered and Carol nodded, giving her a small smile as she did so.

"Its fine, you can go on up, honey - we've got things covered down here. And besides, your right, you need to rest. You've been on your feet all day helping out." Carol assured her and Maggie smiled a small smile as well.

"You need any help getting up the stairs?" She asked and while Tessa wanted to laugh at how much that made her sound like an old lady, she shook her head instead as she turned around.

"No, I've got it . . ." She trailed off as she climbed the stairs purposefully, holding back every stab of pain that flickered through her body as she did so. When she entered the office moments later, Wren and Beth paused in their conversation and smiled broadly when the saw her. The two girls had been completely oblivious to what had just happened below them and the innocence of it made her want to break down and weep. She smiled instead and gestured below them. "I-I'm gonna try and get some sleep before the others return and I have to feed them. You guys can take a break if you want – go check on your father. I'll be fine with them." She smiled at Beth as she said this and the two girls nodded and got to their feet. Wren shot Tessa an inquiring look but continued on nonetheless after Beth.

It was then that Tessa collapsed on the bunk beside her children, the two small, sleeping forms barely stirring as they felt their mother's weight descend beside them. She gazed at them for a moment and felt the exhaustion and pain envelop her and it was then, when she was all alone, that she finally broke down and sobbed.

* * *

She must have fallen asleep sometime after her little sob-fest, because she was eventually startled awake by gentle hands lifting her up slightly before bringing her back against a hard, bare chest. "Daryl . . .?" She murmured sleepily and felt him nod behind her as he slid in behind her and pulled the covers up around them.

"Yah, it's me. Now hush up and go back to sleep – I didn' mean to wake ya." He spoke and Tessa shook her head as she sat up slightly.

"I've gotta . . . I've gotta go feed the twins . . ." Daryl shook his head.

"Already got tha' covered. Ethan found a small tin of baby formula in the infirmary when they went to go clear it out. Guessin' it was for the occasional prison staff that had to bring their baby in with them to work, but it was there all the same. Beth and Wren handled them for ya, so don' worry." Tessa nodded and slunk back down onto the bunk, her head falling onto his arm as his other moved to wrap around her waist, bringing her against him.

"Which means you've probably already heard about today's fiasco . . ." She grumbled as she buried her face even more into his bicep. She felt the distinct urge to just crawl into a hole somewhere and die and felt Daryl's chest quake behind her as he chuckled.

"Ya mean 'bout Seth cuttin' Lori down after the three of 'em came back from the infirmary?" He asked her and after Tessa nodded, he continued to laugh.

"I'm startin' to like tha kid – I ain' gon' lie!"

"Daryl, how can you laugh at a time like this?" She asked him, her voice slightly on edge and Daryl sighed as he pulled her closer to him, where his lips pressed lovingly against the nape of her neck.

"I can laugh 'bout this, babydoll, 'cause Hershel woke up sometime after ya disappeared up here," He told her and she gasped as she turned to pin him with a surprised stare. He nodded as he gently wiped away a stray tear beading at the corner of her eye. "Ya made a call, Tess, and it looks like it was a good one. Thanks to the antibiotics and the wrappin's that the three of 'em managed to bring back, ya saved Hershel's life."

She shook her head. "But Lori -"

"Lori is fine too. She's mighty sore at ya and I can partially understand where she's comin' from speakin' Carl _is_ her kid, but that'll change too. She'll see how much she needs ya and she'll come back, but for now, be grateful ya have Maggie and Beth and everyone else to help ya out when ya need it," He shook his head then. "But really, all her beef with ya, Tess, is jealously! She's angry 'cause Seth hit the nail right on tha damn head and she's jealous over a whole lotta things 'tween ya two – ya've already told me that!" Tessa laughed then.

"You know what she said to me before she left?"

"What?"

"She asked me to explain to her how perfect me and our family was." She told him and immediately Daryl let out a bark of a laugh then, a laugh that immediately rose in a crescendo as she joined in and the both of them started laughing even more.

"She can honestly sit there and think that _we _are perfect? Did'ya _not_ tell her 'bout Merle and everythin' else?" He asked and she nodded as the both of them continued laughing until it gradually came to a stop. When it did, he pulled her closer to him and she felt her eyes began to get heavy. Daryl was back with her, the twins were fed and sleeping soundly . . . she was warm and felt protected . . . yeah, she felt like she could sleep for a good long while.

"I'm so grateful I have you, Daryl . . ." Tessa murmured with a weak laugh. "I don't think I could do this without you." She felt Daryl nod as he placed another loving kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah well, the sentiment's the same, babydoll."


	42. Chapter 42

**Okay, people have already probably started figuring this out but I'm putting this in here anyway - I am NOT going to include any Andrea and Michonne parts in here for length's sake until they meet up with the group or have a scene that includes the group, for obvious reasons. So no, don't expect any scenes including Woodbury as a backdrop, so-to-speak, until Glenn, Maggie and *spoiler* Tessa get taken there by Merle. So yeah, just thought I'd clear that up lol.**

**HaloHunter89: Yeah, I'm kinda trying to give Seth more of voice now and I'm not entirely sure what personality I want to make him although I can tell you that he does play a pretty important part later in the story. I'm still trying to sort out all the details of where everything is going to go in the story, as well as what happens where, but eventually, he will acquire a much bigger role! :)**

**Thanks as ever, HermioneandMarcus for reviewing and HumanDustbin for many PM'ing sessions that allow me to bounce ideas back and forth off of someone, as well as have someone who can keep me focused on what needs the focus . . . sometimes LOL **

**As per many PM's asking about this, the people I have envisioned as Seth, Ethan and Wren have actually taken some thought. Right now, I'm kinda sticking to Shiloh Fernandez (Seth), Thomas Dekker (Ethan) and a very, _very _young Victoria Justice as Wren. And of course, Tessa is the amazing actress Janina Gavankar, so yeah, just thought I'd clear that up here so the PM's will stop :)**

**Luv ya bunches and be sure to review! **

**- Nagiana**

* * *

_Favorite Line(s):_

_ "So you're with me?" T-Dog asked and Daryl shook his head._

_ "Hell _fuckin_' no!" He immediately replied and everyone's eyes immediately snapped onto him. "I say let 'em take their chances out on the road like we did for damn near a year, 'cause I ain' even gonna begin to allow 'em 'round my kids – 'round Aayla and Danny and Wren! Fuck that shit!"_

_A Week Later . . ._

"Daryl! Daryl – get your ass up here!"

Daryl furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion as he heard Tessa's slightly irritated words come up from the office doorway above him. After he shared the same look of confusion with T-Dog, of whom he had been organizing the food with, he turned around and moved to the foot of the stairs leading to the upper floors. He could hear the cries of one of the twins – the _indignant _cries – and broke out into a grin, immediately knowing what was wrong.

"What'cha need, babydoll?" He called up as he paused at the foot of the stairs leading up to the second landing, and Tessa appeared moments later, a weary look to her eyes as she held a fussy Aayla.

"She won't go to sleep," She told him simply and Daryl grinned and shook his head as he trudged up the stairs towards them. Wren was standing beside her, a slight smile on her face and when Daryl finally reached them after taking his own sweet time, it seemed, Tessa's lips were pursed in irritation. "I want you to know: I blame you." She immediately told him and Daryl continued to grin as he took his daughter in his arms, the baby's cries coming to a rather abrupt stop when her blue eyes settled onto her father's face looming above her. His eyes twinkled with amusement as Tessa gave a roll of her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Why are ya blamin' me? It's not ma fault our daughter came out a daddy's girl and who won' go to sleep unless daddy's the one who puts her in the cradle!" He told her with a cheeky grin on his face and Tessa shook her head as she turned around and headed back into the office, where Danny was already sound asleep in his makeshift cradle. He was the easy one - _always_ the easy one. He was the easy one to feed, to put to sleep, to placate and entertain. Aayla was the difficult one who had to have _the same _nipple every time she fed and who refused to go to sleep unless Daryl was the one who put her in the cradle. Daddy's Girl was a little bit of an understatement, Tessa figured.

Daryl smiled at Wren as he moved past her, following Tessa. "What's up, Little Bird?" He asked and Wren gave him a playfully mean look as she allowed him to walk into the office first.

"Nothin' much – _old man_!" She fired back and Tessa shot Wren an amused look as Daryl threw her a glance over his shoulder and let out a bark of a laugh in response. He knew she hated that nickname but he had started running out creative nicknames for her after she eighty-sixed 'Little Bit'. Aayla was 'sweet-pea', Danny was 'little man' and Tessa garnered much of the rest of his creativity when it came to nicknames and pet-names. And for some reason, she hadn't liked 'Little Bit' even though he thought it was a pretty good one until he had thought up 'Little Bird'.

He moved towards the cradle, Aayla already falling asleep in the gently bouncing arms of her father and when he slowly lowered her down beside her brother, she hardly shifted a wink from the deep sleep she was now in. Tessa shook her head as she took a seat on their bunk, Wren sitting down beside her. "Again, I blame you!" She told him and Daryl chuckled as he leaned over and pressed a loving kiss to each of their heads. He got down on his haunches then and shook his head as he gazed at the clothe structure in front of him with slight distaste.

"We gotta get 'em a crib or somethin', Tess . . . this cradle ain' gonna cut it pretty soon, especially when they start growin' . . ." He told her and she nodded in agreement.

"I know – I noticed that too when I set down Danny a few minutes ago," She bit down on her bottom lip then and turned a halfway sheepish, halfway curious gaze onto him. "You don't think Rick would object to a quick run into town sometime in the near future, right? I noticed a daycare when we were driving through and it looked pretty damn deserted. Might have what we need, plus a few excess supplies that could always come in handy . . ." Her eyes flickered towards the open doorway then and Wren and Daryl immediately knew that she was thinking of Lori. "It wouldn't hurt too to get another crib, as well. For . . . for Lori . . ." She spoke and Daryl heaved a slightly weary sigh. The two of them still hadn't made up and for once, Daryl couldn't say it was from Tessa's lack of trying. She tried every day to help out Lori and the others whenever she could – help her and Carol out with the laundry, help her and Beth with the food – help her with anything that needed helping with and while Lori never turned her down and while she was always cordial to her, they still weren't what you would call 'being on the mend'.

Goddamn, it made Daryl wonder how long Lori could hold a grudge!

"Things will sort themselves out, ya'll see – they always do!" Daryl assured her as he remained hunched down beside the clothe cradle containing their twins. "So watch, she'll go inta labor and the first words out of her mouth will be her screamin' ya name 'cause it ain' exactly like Rick's gonna be there for her," He shook his head. "It's inevitable, babydoll," Tessa nodded and shot him a small smile as Daryl returned his eyes onto the twins. "But don' worry 'bout the crib - I'll figure somethin' out. I always take care of my own, ya know this," Tessa nodded again as his eyes fell onto Wren then, where he grinned. "Ya need me to pick somethin' up in town for ya too while I'm there, Little Bird?" He asked her and she shook his head, although a slightly thankful look appeared in her eyes. Daryl nodded as they descended into a silence then. He had always liked Wren and he'd be damned if he _didn't _consider the little girl as partially his own now. After all, Tessa practically did.

After a moment, Daryl heaved another sigh and got to his feet, wincing as his joints popped, something he saw Tessa do as well. He was getting old . . . and pretty soon, he'd have to be chasing after two kids, too. And while others would not be looking forward to that day, he thought it couldn't come any slower!

Tessa furrowed her eyebrows. "Where are you going?" She asked him and Daryl shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Rick wants to do some shit down in the lower yard. Guessin' he needs my help for it or else he never would have asked me to help. Ya two wanna come and help out? Ya guys need the sunshine – ya 'bout to wilt in here!" He told her and Tessa grinned and shook her head as she glanced at Wren sitting beside her – the girl that had practically become her shadow since they arrived at the prison and she had the twins.

"Wren can, but I can't. Who will watch the twins?"

"Lori."

Tessa shook her head at the finality in his tone. "Daryl, I couldn't ask that -!"

"And why could you not?" He asked, a look of genuine confusion appearing on his face. "Ya haven' been outside since the birth when everyone else has at some point – the twins are asleep and it's not like Lori doesn' have Beth and Carl hangin' 'round to help if they do wake up and Seth here to handle shit in case _something _bad happens! And besides, I think she owes us!" He stood there for a moment in silence before shaking his head defiantly. He then took her hands and hauled her to her feet. "Actually, come to think of it – ya ain' gettin' outta this – ya too, Little Bird!"

"Daryl, what are you -!"

"Hey Lori, watch the twins for a minute, okay? They're asleep and I'm takin' Tess and Wren outside to help us do whatever Rick needs help doin' in the yard." He called as he dragged her down the stairs to the first floor, Wren jogging down alongside them. Lori glanced up, a wide-eyed look to her face but then she slowly nodded as she returned to working on the newly washed clothes.

"Yeah, Beth and I can do that," She smiled weakly. "And yeah, no offense, Tess, but you definitely need some sunshine!" She told her with a slightly sympathetic look and Tessa shot her an inquiring one as Lori continued on with what she was doing and as Daryl propelled her towards the door. The pregnant woman then avoided her eyes the rest of the way and while Tessa wanted to say something, the words caught in her throat when the door was suddenly thrown open and she felt herself cringing away from the bright light like a vampire when it landed on her. She immediately fell back against Daryl standing behind her and she heard him chuckle as he expertly caught her.

"See what I mean?" He asked and Tessa nodded as she straightened up, her hand immediately flying to shield her eyes as they swept along the prison yard and the grassy yard that descended below it. They could see the rest of the people milling around like ants near the gate and all the walker corpses had done been cleared from the surrounding area and burned. It looked a lot better than she had thought it would.

"Alright – bring the other car through!" Rick yelled before he found himself distracted by the three people walking down the grassy hill towards them. Carol grinned and immediately moved to hug Tessa when they finally crossed the distance between them.

"You're finally out in the sun – the _both_ of you!" She spoke, grinning, as she moved to hug Wren next, and Tessa nodded as she placed her hands on her hips and glanced at Daryl standing beside her.

"Yeah, no special thanks to Daryl from dragging me out here!" She muttered and Daryl grinned as he nodded towards Rick.

"So what are we doin'?" He asked and Rick gave a shrug.

"Mainly rounding up all the bodies we still have out here in the yard and burning them. It's gonna be a long day, too, just warning you." He spoke and Daryl nodded in agreement as Carol's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Where are Glenn and Maggie? We could really use them." She spoke and Daryl continued to grin as he gestured to the guard tower rising high behind them.

"I think they're in the guard tower." He spoke and even Rick couldn't help but allow a little grin to appear on his face.

"Guard tower?" He asked and Daryl nodded. "They were just up there last night."

"Glenn – Maggie!" Daryl called, his hands cupping around his mouth as he yelled, and Tessa and Carol came up on either side of him then, eyes squinting in the harsh spring sun. It took a minute, but finally, the door to the top of the guard tower banged slowly open, revealing a very sleep-deprived Glenn and Maggie. Maggie was holding her shirt to her chest whereas Glenn himself was shirtless.

"H-Hey . . . what's up guys?" Glenn called down hesitantly and everyone immediately adopted grins and laughter on their faces at the realization of what _exactly _they had been doing up in that guard tower, although a sharp pang speared through Tessa's heart nonetheless. What she wouldn't _do_ for her and Daryl to be in their places! And judging by the look that flickered through her man's mirthful eyes, he was thinking right along the same thing. But alas, sex was still a no-go for them for about two and a half more months – something Tessa could tell bothered Daryl much more than it bothered her.

"Ya comin'?" Daryl called to them, his hands appearing on his hips as he fought to hold back a snicker, and they could practically see the stupid look on Glenn's face as his brain clawed its way out of the gutter long enough to fully understand what he meant.

"What?" He finally asked and everyone snickered like schoolchildren as Daryl adopted a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Are ya two _comin_'?" He called back, his voice louder and slightly more understandable and this time Glenn nodded in dawning recognition which only seemed to make the whole thing funnier.

"Y-yeah, we'll be down in a minute!" He called and they nodded as they turned around and began heading towards the various bodies that needed to be pulled for the fire. Tessa grinned and shook her head as she and Daryl headed to a couple of dead walkers lying on the ground close together, Wren disappearing after Carol for once.

"So glad that wasn't us. I'd be fuckin' mortified!" She joked, glancing at him with a grin and Daryl couldn't help but share her grin as he bumped his hip into hers.

"Hey . . . who says _we're_ gonna get caught?"

* * *

"Are you _serious_? You honestly want them living in the cell next to you?"

Daryl returned to the group huddled behind the toppled over prison bus, hooking the ring of keys back around his belt-loop as he did so. Before they could even begin to drag the bodies into a pile, T-Dog had alerted them to the two prison inmates left from the group they had originally encountered, walking down the gravel road towards them. They put up an emphatic argument about how they couldn't live in their designated cellblock any longer and how they would do anything to be a part of their group. That, or they'd risk the road.

After Daryl locked them behind the gate where Maggie's SUV and Merle's bike were still currently sitting, they had all huddled behind the bus, T-Dog immediately saying that he thought they should join, something which was greeted by immediate shock by Rick. Tessa simply crossed her arms in front of her chest as Daryl took his customary place next to her. "They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons – do you want to go back to having to sleep with one eye open?" He asked him and T-Dog shook his head.

"You mean you stopped?" He asked him, his voice quiet and diplomatic and Tessa could see in Rick's eyes that he had to give him that. Not one of them had stopped sleeping with one eye open and even to this day, Tessa could tell that by Daryl sometimes jerking in his sleep, that he still had the occasional nightmare (although whether the nightmare was about something that happened in the past year or his past in general, was up for debate) and the same also went for her. Only the kids (Seth alone seemed an exemption) and the twins slept completely still and restful. "Bring them into the fold," T-Dog continued, "If we send them off packing, we mine-as-well execute them ourselves."

"I don't know guys . . . Axel seems a little unstable." Glenn spoke up, referring to the inmate with the stringy blonde hair and beard and a few of them nodded in agreement.

"After all we've been through – what if one day they just decide to try and take it?" Carol spoke up and Tessa couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"It's like I told Rick a week ago when you guys first encountered them, I have young children now – children that can't even begin to protect themselves! I don't know what they're in for – I don't know what they did to land themselves here! I can't allow them around my children with that big of a question mark hanging over their heads!" Maggie nodded in agreement as well.

"It's just been us for so long and they're strangers. Tess is right, what if they did something bad to land themselves here?" She gave a shrug then as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "But I don't know, it just kinda just feels weird having them around, I guess."

"You brought us in," T-Dog spoke after a moment before nodding towards Tessa and Wren. "You brought in Tessa and Ethan and then Wren and Seth." Maggie nodded in reply.

"Yeah, well, with us, you showed up with a shot little boy being cradled in your arms. How _could _we turn you away in good conscious?" She asked and Rick nodded in agreement.

"And I don't know how it was before I came, but back then we were together, simply because survival meant more people in your group. Now . . . now it's almost survival of the fittest."

"And need we bring up the fact that they can't even kill walkers?" Glenn brought up and it was like that fact hadn't even occurred to Rick before then. Daryl nodded silently in agreement then as well.

"I think it all boils somewhat down to what Tess said. They are convicts – _bottom_ line!" Carol spoke up and T-Dog shook his head.

"But if ya think about it, those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do!" He replied, his eyes moving to hold Rick's and Tessa shook her head.

"That's not the point, T! What we did – what we _do_ is for survival! If they remotely committed something akin to murder or whatever, then how do we not know they did it because they were forced to or they did it because they could get their rocks off to it?" She shrugged. "We can't!" Daryl shook his head, his hand appearing on Tessa's lower back.

"No, babydoll, I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with 'em! They're degenerates but they ain' _psychos_ – not in the way ya'll are talkin', anyway," His eyes settled onto Tessa's then. "I could have been in there with 'em jus' as quickly as I could be out here with ya'll now." He told her and he didn't need to say that Tessa had been the one who had kept him from following in Merle's footsteps but they got the feeling that everyone figured that.

"So you're with me?" T-Dog asked him and Daryl shook his head.

"Hell _fuckin_' no!" He immediately replied and everyone's eyes immediately snapped onto him. "I say let 'em take their chances out on the road like we did for damn near a year, 'cause I ain' even gonna _begin _to allow 'em 'round my kids – 'round Aayla and Danny and Wren! _Fuck_ that shit!" Tessa smiled a small smile at Daryl's words as she wrapped her arm around the smiling little girl's shoulders, where she pulled her closer to her.

"Look, what I'm saying, Daryl -!"

"Look, I arrested someone one day, okay?" Rick interrupted T-Dog and everyone attentions appeared on him then. "He was just nineteen-years-old and got arrested for stabbing his girlfriend. Kid blubbered like a damn baby during the interrogation, during the trial - he _suckered _the jury! He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and two weeks later, he _shot_ another girl," Rick shook his head. "We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands." He spoke before him and Daryl moved off in the direction of the gate between which the two prisoners were still standing, Glenn taking off seconds later after them, leaving T-Dog with Maggie, Carol, Tessa and Wren. T-Dog stayed silent, avoiding their eyes and eventually, the four of them heaved their own sighs and walked after the three men.

* * *

"Drive the cars in and move them where their noses are pointed towards the road. They'll be out of the way but easily accessible in case we need to bail." Rick spoke and they nodded as Daryl tossed Glenn the keys. He caught them easily and took off as a jog towards the cars. Rick moved closer to T-Dog then. "We'll give the prisoners at least a week's worth of rations for the road."

"They might not last a week." He replied and Rick gave a shrug.

"It's their choice."

"Did they have much of one?"

Rick's teeth gritted in anger then as he stopped and wheeled around to face the man he normally got along with so well. "Hey, hey, hey – whose blood would you rather have on your hands? Would you rather have theirs or Maggie's or Glenn's or, God-forbid – Tess or one of the twins or Wren's? 'Cause if that's your answer, then _you _can be the one who can tell Daryl that your wanting to put the lives of a couple of prison inmates you don't even know, over his family and the little girl he _considers _his family!" T-Dog stood there for a moment before giving a shrug of his shoulders.

"Neither." He told him as he got into the truck, Maggie's SUV starting up seconds later. Tessa and Wren hung around the gate with Glenn and they watched, impassive, as Daryl moved over to Merle's bike, Axel stepping forward slightly as his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Twin-cylinder ain't it?" He asked and Daryl glanced at him.

"Why, you look at it?" He asked as he started it up and Axel continued, his voice rising above the sounds of the motor.

"Sounds like it could use a tune-up – I'm pretty handy with bike. Your heads are leaking – I know my bikes!" He shouted as Daryl ignored him and rode the bike into the yard. Tessa and Glenn couldn't help but laugh as they slid the gate closed and locked it, right when Oscar looked at him and upon shaking his head, said,

"Damn man, can't you ever shut your mouth? Have some balls!"


	43. Chapter 43

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while - been having family problems that have kept me from writing too much.**

**This is also a pretty sensitive chapter with a little bit of a blood and gore warning. This chapter is also largely AU and I know I stole a scene from Maggie and gave it to Tessa but I don't think anyone is complaining. Also, don't review asking for tissues because I'm pretty sure I've used up all of mine writing this chapter :(**

**Smittendebs and HermioneandMarcus - Glad you guys are enjoying it so much! I've been writing whenever I can and hopefully I'll be updating a little faster soon :)**

**Maddy-MarieXO - I'm pretty sure that the whole Carol and Daryl thing is done in my fanfic for now (all depends on what AMC has planned for the fourth season etc etc). So yeah, you don't have to worry about that for now.**

**Anyways - onward to the chapter! Read, enjoy and please! Review my shit! XD**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"How have the twins been doing?"

Tessa smiled at Hershel standing beside her and nodded. He had come out of the cellblock on crutches while being helped along by Lori, Beth and Carl when everyone was moving the cars in order to help transport all the wood they were going to need for the fires that would burn all the walker corpses, causing a smile to immediately break out on everyone's face. Tessa had to admit – she was glad he was back on his feet.

"They're doing well . . . they're thriving, even!"

"And you? How have you been feeling lately? I'm afraid I haven't . . . been able to inquire lately." He asked her with a little chuckle, although his keen eyes took in everything about her as she followed him to the chain-link fence at the edge of the yard. Tessa glanced at him before she released a slightly exhausted sigh.

"I'm as good as I can be, I suppose . . . considering all that we've been through lately."

"Been taking it easy?" She nodded.

"Of course – Wren, Ethan and Beth have been making sure too, so you don't have to worry about me lying or stretching the truth! The day you came back, though, the shit kinda hit the fan and I was on my feet all day but . . . I bounced back from that pretty quickly," She gave a little shrug then. "I'll be fine. Its Lori you need to worry about." Hershel's eyebrows furrowed slightly in both interest and confusion and he opened his mouth to say something, however, they were interrupted by Glenn shouting up from the grassy yard below:

"You okay, Hershel?" Tessa and Hershel grinned and laughed when they saw Daryl quickly rein the younger man's excitement back by gesturing to the walkers lumbering towards them from the woods.

"How has he been acclimatizing to all this?" He asked, nodding to the two men and Tessa glanced at him.

"You mean Daryl?" He nodded and she gave a bark of a laugh. "You don't need to be worried about Daryl. He's stepped so damn effortlessly into the father role that it was almost like he was born to it! He loves the twins like no other man could _ever _love his children and he's been helping me out with everything he possible can," She smiled a small smile and nodded. "In your words, he's acclimatizing quite well."

Hershel nodded as they stayed in silence then, Tessa, Hershel, Carl, Beth and Lori just standing there, gazing down at the people in the yard and feeling, for the first time in a long time that they were going to be okay.

Until Tessa heard Daryl roaring her name as he took off at an immediate sprint down the gravel aisle between the two chain-links fences. Tessa, eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion, turned around with the others, only to immediately gasp out in shock when they saw the herd of walkers lumbering towards them from further within the prison yard.

Everyone down in the yard made an immediate sprint up towards the people now being faced with a daunting amount of walkers, Daryl keeping a firm lead before all of them. They could hear gunshots as they fired at whatever walker head they could get their sights on but it seemed futile. They just kept coming.

"TESSA!"

"Go, Daryl – GO!"

"Tessa – go! Get out of there, baby – GO!"

Tessa had immediately twirled around at Daryl's shouting and nodded as she hooked her hands around Lori's elbow and Carl's and spun them blindly towards a nearby open door as Hershel and Beth scrambled for a chain-link enclosure safe from any walker grip.

"The lock – it's locked!"

"Goddammit, Glenn, throw me the _fuckin_' keys!"

It was the first time in a _very _long time they had seen Daryl start to lose his legendary coolness under pressure, and Glenn nodded as he threw the man the keys, barely missing the hard swallow he forced himself to do as he caught them. His hands trembled as he desperately moved to fit them in the lock and he felt tears stinging his eyes. He prayed to God that Wren, Seth and Ethan would have the common sense to hear the commotion outside and then _stay _inside – to lock the gate to the cellblock if they needed to!

If those walkers managed to get inside the cell block . . . if they . . .

Daryl found himself unable to finish the sentence running through his head and instead, was brought back down to earth when he felt Rick gently take the keys from him and calmly open the gate. Daryl nodded to him in thanks and Rick nodded back before they darted through the new opening.

* * *

Lori, Tessa and Carl found themselves plunged into darkness as they entered the abandoned cellblock, Tessa pulling the gate firmly closed behind them. Walkers pounded on the door outside and their chests heaved as they stood there for a moment and caught their breath. Eventually, she shook her head and swallowed the lump that had been forming in her throat since she heard Daryl roaring at her to get out of there. "We can't stay here, guys . . . we gotta keep moving . . . find a way back to the others or a way to loop _around _to the cellblock . . ." She spoke up and Carl and Lori nodded in agreement as Tessa's eyes quickly scanned the room. She wished Ethan or Daryl or someone else was here with them. She didn't feel safe with a pregnant woman with a gun, a kid with a gun and her with a hunting knife. They were practically walking walker bait!

Her eyes landed on an opened gate on the other side of the room and she walked quickly towards it, withdrawing the hunting knife from its sheath strapped to her thigh, only to end up cursing violently under her breath as walkers began lumbering out of it. She immediately backpedaled and hurriedly pushed the two Grimes' past the walker-spewing gate, in the direction of another one left luckily open down the way. She entered after them and pulled it closed behind them, satisfied when she heard it lock.

"Oh God, give me strength . . ." Tessa found herself muttering under her breath as she fought to control her breathing and her heart rate. The twins had been left behind in the cellblock with Wren, Seth and Ethan. Hopefully they were safe . . . Daryl would make _sure_ they were safe before moving to look for her, she knew it! He'd know that, that would be what she would want before anything else. But still . . . she couldn't help but worry for them – for all of them!

"Come on, Tess, we gotta keep moving . . ." Lori murmured to her gently and Tessa nodded as she swallowed hard again and turned around. She could barely see her friend through the gloom but noticed when she smiled a small smile and took her hand. Tessa returned the smile as they moved cautiously down the unfamiliar corridor, hoping to Hell that it eventually led out to somewhere they recognized.

* * *

"Where's Lori?! Where's Carl?!"

Daryl could hear Rick shout the panicked words to Beth and Hershel still standing safely behind the chain-link enclosure, but he didn't stop to hear what they said. His pulse pounded in his ears as he cruelly cut a bloody swath through the walkers to the cellblock where the kids were holed up in – his vision narrowing to only see the doorway that held part of his family. He was vaguely aware that Glenn was standing between him and Rick, torn on who to stay with and eventually decided on Rick when he saw Daryl safely reach the door of the cellblock.

"Ethan! Seth – Wren – you guys in here?" He shouted when he opened the door and jogged into the cellblock after closing it securely behind him. Immediately, he heard the pounding of booted feet on cement as Ethan and Seth came running into view and Daryl let out a relieved breath, almost never so happy to see his son and Seth in his life.

"Deddy, what's happening out there?" Ethan asked, his eyes wide with an emotion that Daryl didn't feel like deciphering at that moment, and he simply shook his head.

"Where are the twins – are they alright? Are _all_ of you alright?" He quickly asked, and the both of them immediately nodded.

"Yeah, Wren's up in the office with the twins. We were sitting around doing nothing when we heard the gunshots. We immediately ran for our weapons but stayed put and that's when you ran in." Seth explained and Daryl nodded as he began pacing the floor, although he had barely heard him. The twins were okay – Seth and Wren and Ethan were okay . . . but where was _Tessa_?

Ethan must have been thinking along the same lines, for when he spoke next, his voice was quiet and slightly frightened. Tessa hadn't gone missing since the night they escaped from the farmhouse. "Deddy . . . Deddy, where's momma?"

Daryl stopped and turned to face his son then. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the door to the cellblock clanging open. They spun around, their weapons immediately moving to point at the opened doorway, only to find that it was Rick, chest heaving and eyes wide with fear. His eyes connected with Daryl's and as a blaring alarm began to sound, he shook his head.

"Tessa led Lori and Carl into the cellblock across the way," He shook his head. "Daryl, we gotta go find them!"

* * *

The three of them flinched violently when an alarm began to blare, the sound immediately bouncing off of the concrete walls, making it seem even louder than it actually was. They continued onwards, though, Carl always staying slightly ahead and with his gun at the ready in case they happened upon a walker or two as Tessa stayed with Lori, giving the woman any verbal assurances she needed to keep them going. Tessa too was on high alert and didn't notice the rigidity of her friend's body posture and the way she clutched at her massive stomach.

They rounded a corner and Tessa immediately felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach when she saw Lori squeeze her eyes shut, grit her teeth and then turn to lean on a nearby wall. "Lori . . . Lori, oh my God, honey – are you alright?" The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them and Lori nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but something's wrong . . ." She shook her head. "Tess, I think the baby's coming . . ." Tessa's eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"Lori, we need to get you back to the cellblock – to Hershel and Carol! Come on, we gotta -!"

Lori's hand enclosing firmly around her wrist kept her back and she turned to face her friend, only to see her shaking her head. "Tess, I'm not gonna make it back in time. This baby is coming fast," Her eyes sought hers out through the gloom. "You're gonna have to deliver it."

Tessa opened her mouth to speak but didn't have time to as a group of walkers came snarling and lumbering around the corner. Carl raised his gun but Tessa shook her head as she quickly moved to support Lori's weight with her own as she pulled her friend's arm around her shoulders. "There's no time. Come on – we gotta find a secure room!"

They backtracked back down the corridor, tears starting to fall down Lori's cheeks as they sought desperately for a secure enough room to lay her down. They were once routed by walkers but managed to backtrack again and go down another corridor before sliding into a room, Carl slamming the door behind them. They moved deeper into the room and stood there with bated breath as the walkers lumbered past them. Tessa's eyes shot onto Lori, however, when the woman gripped the chain hanging in front of her and squeezed with all her might as another contraction ripped through her, Tessa shook her head as her hand moved to her shoulder, her eyes growing wide again.

"What are those alarms?" Lori asked to keep Tessa from saying what she was terrified of hearing, and Tessa shook her head as she took her arm and helped her down the room.

"Don't worry about the alarms, honey." She spoke and Carl shook his head.

"What if they attract them?" He asked and Tessa glanced at him over her shoulder but largely ignored him as her attention returned to her friend. Lori was going into labor – she was _going _to have this baby here and there was no stopping it. She needed to keep her cool and _think_.

"Lori, we need to keep going, okay?" She asked with a nod and Lori shook her head.

"No, Tess, the baby's coming now . . ." She spoke, her voice scarily quiet and Carl stood there, at a temporary loss of words.

"Well, we need to get you back to our cellblock – to Hershel and Carol -!" Tessa shook her head, interrupting him.

"No, we can't risk it in her state, Carl. Lori, we're gonna need to give birth to this baby here." She told her and although Lori hated the words with a vengeance, she knew they were true. She heard Lori mutter 'Great' under her breath before her breathing started to tear ragged from her lungs. Carl's body immediately grew rigid.

"What's happened to her – can she breathe?" He asked and Tessa glanced at him.

"The baby is coming, Carl, and it's painful – that's why she's breathing hard. And I know you're worried for her – I am too, but I need you to be quiet, okay? I need to think. Now, Lori, come here – we need to get your pants off!" Tessa spoke as her hands immediately moved to her front, where they began working at the button and fly of her jeans. Lori grabbed onto the pipe in front of her for leverage as Tessa snaked her pants down her legs along with her underwear before helping her to the floor. Her eyes moved up to Carl's. "You wanna help deliver your little brother or sister?" She asked him and Carl nodded, swallowing hard, as Tessa's eyes returned to Lori's. "I'm gonna do a quick exam – make sure your dilated, okay?" She asked and Lori nodded as Tessa gently spread her legs. After a moment, she shook her head. "I can't tell . . ."

"Tess, forget about that - I gotta push . . ." She immediately spoke up afterwards and she nodded as Tessa helped her to her feet. She maneuvered her to stand facing a wall, where she latched onto a pipe bolted there. Lori didn't have the luxury of giving birth with her husband there like Tessa had. She needed to give birth _then_, as quickly as she could and _without _Rick. Hopefully nothing would go wrong, though.

She pushed along with the contraction and stood there for a moment, body rigid as she gritted her teeth and tried her best to cope with the pain. Eventually, though, shook her head as she held out her hand. "Somebody . . .!" Tess jumped forward and took her hand and when the contraction ended, Lori nodded and released her hand, where she took another hold on the pipe. "I'm okay – I'm okay!" She assured her and Tessa nodded.

"Just keep doing what you're doing Lori; your body knows what to do," She assured her quickly in turn, her hand smoothing comfortingly up her back as the next couple of contractions hit her, causing Lori to cripple somewhat with the continuous pain. Eventually, Tessa shook her head and put a warning hand on the small of her back. "Lori, don't push – don't push! Something is wrong!"

She reached her hands up in-between her legs as a scream tore from her friend's throat. Tessa withdrew her hand from between her thighs, her heart sinking when she saw her fingers covered in scarlet red blood.

"Oh dear God, Lori . . .!"

It was then that the woman collapsed, her eyes closing and Tessa quickly moved to catch her, Carl hurriedly moving to their side. Her skin was cold and clammy to the touch and Tessa felt her heart jump up into her throat as she quickly moved to lay her down. "Mom, mom, keep your eyes on me – keep them open!" Carl urged her as he took her hand and Lori shook her head as her eyes focused on Tessa's.

"Tess, I'm not gonna make it . . ." She murmured and immediately Tessa and Carl adamantly shook their heads as Tessa moved to kneel in-between her legs.

"Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated!" She told her, fighting to keep back the tears that insisted on bubbling up in her eyes. "No amount of pushing is gonna help." Lori nodded.

"I know what it means," Her eyes held her friend's unwaveringly. "And I'm not losing my baby, Tess, you know that. You gotta cut me open." Tessa stared at her in horror for a moment before adamantly shaking her head.

"Lori, _no_! I can't!"

"Tessa, please, you have to -!"

Tessa had tears brimming in her eyes as she shook her head. "Lori, I can't – please don't make me do this! I don't have the equipment – no anesthetic . . .!" Lori let out a laugh.

"You have a knife, Tess, and Daryl has always said that you were a surgeon with it. And didn't I tell you – didn't I tell you that you would be the one out of the both of us to make it? Didn't I tell you that you would be the one to have the smooth birth and the one that would live through this?" She swallowed heavily then. "Didn't you _promise_ _me_ that you would take care of my baby like it was your own – like it was Danny or Aayla?" Tessa had no choice but to nod and she opened her mouth to retort but was silenced by Lori shaking her head as she reached a hand up to curl around hers. Her eyes flickered to the hunting knife lying on the floor beside them – the hunting knife that had formerly been Daryl's. "You're the only one here, Tess, who knows this stuff. You're the only one who would be able to do this right – without hurting the baby!" She swallowed hard again, her eyes wet with tears. "You're the only one I trust to do this, honey!" Tessa shook her head.

"Lori, you won't survive! You know this!" She told her as a tear ran down her cheek and Lori nodded.

"My baby has to survive, Tess. Please, do this for me – for my _baby_!" Tessa sat there for a moment before shaking her head.

"You can't ask me to do this, Lori - you just can't – it's unfair! For God's sake, you're my best friend! I can't even begin to do this!" They held eyes for a moment and it was then that the tears started to flow between them and Lori shook her head.

"I'm so sorry . . . for what I said earlier. I've been meaning to tell you that but I . . . I never had the courage. You're my best friend, Tessa – you're the only one I trust to do this right!" She shook her head. "I love you, honey, don't for a moment think that the reason I ask you this is because I don't!" She told her as she moved up her shirt, revealing to her the faded caesarian section scar that she had earned with Carl. "See my faded C-section scar? That's where you start." She asked and Tessa shook her head again.

"Lori, you don't understand! I _can't_ -!"

"You can, Tess! You have to! Your strong – you can _do this_! And Daryl . . ." She shook her head. "Daryl will help you cope - he won't let you drown! He's a good man, Tess and he loves you _so much_ . . . don't _ever _think he's not and that he doesn't!" She told him and Tessa nodded, wondering why she was telling her something that she already knew. Lori's eyes landed on the tear-filled ones of her son kneeling beside her then. "And Carl, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want – this is what is right," Carl nodded as she continued. "You take care of your daddy for me, alright? And your little brother or sister, too -"

Carl shook his head, interrupting her slightly, but she continued on nonetheless. "You are going to be _fine_!" She assured him with a smile. "You are going to _beat _this world – I know you are! You are smart and you are strong and you are _so _brave! And I love you."

"I love you too." He murmured back with a sniff as Lori continued.

"Promise me you'll always do the right thing. It's so hard to do wrong in this new world, so if it feels wrong then don't do it, okay? Don't let the world spoil you!" She told him as she reached up her hand and began wiping away his tears. He nodded as more continued to fall, and it was then that she shook her head as they all began to break out into sobs. "My sweet, sweet boy – I love you!" She cried as she pulled him into a hug. Tessa kneeled there as tears began filling her eyes as well and it took a moment before Lori was finally able to return her eyes to Tessa. She had picked up the hunting knife then in a shaky hand and swallowed heavily when her eyes connected with her friend's.

"Tessa, when this is over, you know that you're gonna have to -!"

"Shh!" Tessa almost immediately shushed her and Lori shook her head.

"_You're _gonna have to do this and not Rick!" She finished and Tessa nodded as Carl took up his mother's hand as Tessa shook her head and placed the edge of the blade against her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, honey . . ." She murmured, tears still filling her eyes as she slid the blade along the smooth flesh, feeling it sever like tallow underneath the blade that Daryl sharpened to a dangerous edge every day almost religiously. Lori immediately began screaming bloody murder again and Carl, tears still streaming down his cheeks, yelled that she was killing her. However, Tessa couldn't hear him over his mother's screams and tried not to notice when she closed her eyes and allowed her head to loll to the side, flinching slightly.

"Carl, sweetie, give me your hands . . ." Tessa murmured as she struggled to gain a handhold on the flick fetus and Carl gave her a stricken look, one that Tessa returned with a hard one. "You need to keep the sack out of the way. If I cut too deeply, when I'm gonna hurt it." Carl didn't nod but he did as he was told as Tessa continued on with what she was doing, Carl's eyes turning on the now still face of his mother.

"Tess . . ."

"I'm so sorry sweetie, but I can't worry about you right now. I need to focus," Her cheeks were tear-streaked as she suddenly nodded. "I see it – I see the ears!" She spoke and Carl turned his eyes onto the bloody hands of Tessa moving in his dead mother's stomach and had to close them in order to block the vision from his head. "I'm pulling it out . . . I can't tell if this is the arm or the leg . . ."

Carl opened his eyes, just as Tessa was withdrawing a completely silent, blue baby from his mother. Both their eyes filled with tears as Tessa, heedless of the blood and fluid caking the baby's small body, took it in her arms. She ran her hands over it, trying to warm it before she turned it over and gently patted its back. After a moment, a cry filled the air and the both of them let out sighs of relief as Tessa cut the umbilical cord and Carl shed his jacket, where he handed it to her.

"It's okay, sweetie, it's okay . . ." She murmured to the baby as she quickly wrapped it in the jacket she had taken from Carl and barely noticed that it was a girl. She got her feet then, only giving her friend's corpse a cursory glance, of which almost made her heart split in two. "Carl, we gotta go." She spoke and Carl shot her a weak look as he too got to his feet.

"We can't just leave her here, Tess! What if she turns?" Tessa's weak gaze settled onto Lori then as she shifted the baby struggling slightly in her arms and moved to get the knife she had so recently slid into the holster at her side. A tear ran down Carl's face as he shook his head.

"No . . . no, I'll do it." Tessa gave him a pleading look.

"Carl, sweetie -!"

Carl shook his head as he tightened his hold on the gun in his hand. "She's my mom, Tess. I should be the one to do this." He spoke and Tessa stood there for a moment, holding his gaze before slowly nodding and turning around, where she headed towards the door, her grip tightening on the baby in her arms slightly. Carl watched her go before he turned towards his dead mother, tears streaming down his cheeks.

As Tessa heard the gunshot split the air that meant that Carl had just put a bullet through his mother and her best friend's head, her grip tightening on the little girl in her arms, she found herself wondering what the Hell she had done to be so lucky, where Lori had earned nothing but the world's contempt.

* * *

They hadn't found them. They had shut off the generators after being attacked by a halfway insane Andrew, found a dead T-Dog and a missing Carol but not a hide nor hair of Lori, Carl or Tessa. Daryl was starting to panic and as far as he was concerned, Rick had already lost it.

They had ran back to where they had left Hershel and Beth and were lamenting over how they had not found them, when a baby's cries caught their attention. They twirled around, Daryl's heart giving a leap of relief when he saw Carl and Tessa make their careful way down the steps of another cellblock towards them.

Then they saw the struggling bundle in Tessa's bloody hands.

Tessa was trembling, trying her damndest not to cry as they made their slow, sorrowful way towards them and when Daryl ran to meet them, her eyes connected with Rick's over his shoulder. She shook her head as he limply dropped the ax he had been holding. "Rick . . . Rick, I'm so sorry!"

"Where's Lori, Tess? W-where is she? Where the _Hell _is she, Tess?" He asked and she shook her head, tears filling her eyes as she felt Daryl gently take ahold of her arms. When he instead moved to head past her towards the cellblock they had so recently come from, Tessa shook her head as she lunched out and took a firm hold of his arm.

"N-No, Rick - don't!" He held her gaze for a moment and when he saw the truth echoing in the beautiful brown depths of her eyes, he turned around. His hands flew to his face as he broke down too and as Maggie quickly came forward to take the baby from her, she allowed her to gratefully. She fell into Daryl's arms then and he immediately allowed her to. She wrapped her arms around him and broke down into as furious sobs as was tearing forth from Rick's chest.

As Rick began moaning 'no' over and over again, Tessa felt her legs buckle and Daryl expertly followed her to the ground, shushing her gently as he rocked her back and forth. He knew what the blood on her hands was . . . he knew even if Rick didn't . . .


	44. Chapter 44

**This chapter does skip around a little and it might be a little boring at times but that's kinda how I wanted to write it. There's going to be a filler chapter after this one that does come with its own amount of drama, but the one after that is when I _really _plan for some shit to hit the fan. And when I mean shit I mean Merle Dixon shit. As excited as I am to be writing him again in a few chapters (Merle is one of my favorite Walking Dead characters to write) I need a few days to think about how to go about doing exactly what I want to go about doing, so if I don't update for maybe a couple of days after the next chapter, please, don't worry, its just me getting all my ducks in a row before I slam you guys with one HELL of a chapter! **

**That being said! Onwards with the show!**

**HermioneandMarcus, HaloHunter89 and Smittendebs: Thanks so much for your continued support! Hope you guys keep reading :)**

**Reviews are my crack. Please help me fund my inspiring addiction :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

Daryl was pretty damn sure he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. But it still didn't seem like his brain had shut off, even for a second. He still had too much shit to deal with and he had to take care of things he had never given more than two seconds thoughts to before then. He had to see to every fucking thing that came with stepping into Rick's shoes until the other man was ready to re-assume his role after his mental breakdown upon Lori's rather gruesome death. Maybe this is why Rick looked so damn tired all the time.

Surprisingly and maybe to spite his previous assertions that Glenn was never really pulling his own weight, he found the man constantly proving him wrong by offering to rework the watch schedule, ensuring that despite their losses, they still had enough coverage. Daryl had quickly agreed, knowing Glenn wouldn't put any of them at risk – especially Maggie and the kids.

As he lay there in the gloom of the Guard Office, the gears in his mind still turning full blast as he went over the things he still had to do tomorrow, he was again propelled back to the scene that greeted them a few days ago when Andrew had let in the walkers and ultimately, killed more than just T-Dog . . .

* * *

_Earlier That Day . . ._

He remembered seeing Rick's baby, still dirty with the white vernix and dried, caked on blood that covered its soft pink skin, as it struggled in the blood covered arms of Tessa, her cheeks reddened and scarred with the sore tracks left in the wake in the near-constant flow of tears that fell from her eyes. He had to shout the man's name more than a couple of times before Rick's eyes finally focused on him and even then, he could see how faraway he was – how he still wasn't completely registering his voice or what exactly was happening.

"Tessa let me see the baby."

It was Hershel's strong voice that finally spoke and Tessa nodded, giving a sniff as she turned and carried the baby over to Hershel, Daryl giving up on Rick in order to follow her. "What are we gonna feed it? Tessa already has her hands full feedin' the twins – there's no way in Hell that she could handle feedin' this one as well!" He spoke and Hershel nodded in agreement as he observed the baby being cradled in front of him. Tessa shook her head.

"I don't have enough milk for three babies; I can tell you guys that right now. The twins are all I can support."

"Well, do we have anythin' else that a baby can eat?" He asked and Hershel shook his head as he moved aside the edges of the jacket covering the baby.

"I don't think so, but the good news is that she looks healthy. She does need formula, though, speaking we are in agreement that Tessa cannot feed her," He spoke as he turned his eyes onto Daryl. "And she needs it soon, or she won't survive." Daryl nodded.

"Nope. That baby ain' gonna die – not her. I'll go for a run." He spoke and Tessa nodded as she handed the baby off to Maggie again.

"I'll back you up, baby." She spoke, her voice coming stronger than they had ever thought it could and Maggie turned a concerned look onto her.

"Honey, are you sure -?"

"Lori was my best friend, Maggie, and I was forced to cut her open in order to save that baby," She shook her head, a determined look appearing on her face. "I'm with Daryl. That baby is not going to die – not after what we had to sacrifice to ensure its survival!" Daryl nodded as he gestured for her to follow him before he turned his eyes onto Glenn.

"Go get the fence and then go check out the perimeter with the two inmates. Too many pile up, we're gonna have a problem, 'kay?" Glenn nodded hurriedly as he jogged to join them and as Tessa gestured for Wren and Beth to quickly join them as well. The two girls immediately jogged up to her and Tessa's voice lowered slightly as her eyes flickered onto the still stunned Rick kneeling on the nearby concrete mere feet away.

"I know we're short of people right now, but I need you two to look after the twins while we're gone, as well as the baby. Her mother's dead and her father looks like he's about to put his own gun to his head. Watch out for them, okay?" The two girls immediately nodded and Tessa gave them both a small smile as she gently pushed them away before returning to Daryl and Glenn. It was then that the three of them moved towards the fence and vehicles.

"Rick!"

They skidded to a stop and turned around, right when they saw Rick get to his feet, pick up the ax he had dropped when Carl and Tessa had first come out of the abandoned cellblock with the baby, and moved quickly towards the rusted metal door, his jaw set and a determined, almost bloodthirsty look in his eyes. He was through the door and gone before anyone else could do anything. The three of them simply turned and continued on their way then, knowing that there would be nothing they could do for him at this stage anyway.

"The supermarket's a no-go – it's been looted already. So is there a place that _hasn'_ been yet?" Daryl asked and Tessa nodded as she turned to face him.

"Yeah; remember that daycare I was telling you about a couple of days ago? We can go there. It didn't look as ransacked as the other places, so we might have some luck there." Daryl nodded as he started the bike and Tessa hurriedly moved to get on behind him as Glenn moved to get the fence, closing it securely behind them with the help of Oscar when they had rode through.

They drove to the daycare in absolute silence except for when Tessa was giving him directions, although the tenseness of her body language as she clung to him from behind was clearly palpable. When they finally reached the abandoned building and he cut off the bike after making a slow stop, he wanted to ask her if she was okay – if she needed to talk about anything. However, she swung off the bike and was heading towards the front entrance of the daycare before he could even open his mouth. He quickly followed her, a breath of slight irritation escaping past his lips as he did so.

"Tessa, babydoll, wait up; this place doesn' exactly look like the safest in the world – ya need to stay close!"

Tessa hardly heard him as she stopped to peer into one of the dusty windows. When she was sure she couldn't see anything that could be identified as a walker, she picked up a brick lying on the ground beside her and smashed in the window. Daryl glanced behind him as he closed the distance between them, his eyes carefully scanning the surrounding tree line to make sure that the sound didn't attract any walkers. When he was sure they were alone, he silently watched her as she climbed in the window and observed her surroundings for a moment before moving to unlock the front door. He entered seconds later and he saw her eyes land longingly on the two white cribs pushed into one of the darkened corners before they fell elsewhere. The cribs would have to wait – namely when they had a vehicle with them that they could actually transport larger things with.

"Kitchen looks to be through there . . ." He murmured as he placed a gentle hand on her back and she glanced up at him before nodding and moving through the tight hallway into the small kitchen. Opening up cabinets, she grabbed a couple of plastic bottles and a large handful of diapers as Daryl continued to keep watch. He didn't know what they were looking for and Tessa quite clearly did, so that plainly left him on guard duty, something that he was more than fine on handling.

Tessa suddenly froze when she heard a faint scratching come from behind her and she immediately felt Daryl tense beside her as well when he heard it too. He slowly moved in front of her, to protect her from whatever might choose to suddenly lunge out at them, and she quickly allowed him to as he turned towards a close cabinet behind them where the scratching appeared to be originating from.

"Wait - what are you holding?" Tessa hissed, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion when she spied the folded yellow clothe in his hand and he glanced back at her before returning his eyes to the cabinet.

"It's a one-sy. Don't expect the baby to go around nekked everywhere, do ya? Hell, even Danny and Aayla we've managed to find jumpers for!" He asked her, a hint of laughter appearing in his voice, and she shook her head, angry at herself that she hadn't thought of that to begin with. Hell, that should have been one of the _first _things she thought of!

"No, of course I didn't! It's just . . . I'm a little angry that I didn't think of that myself." She told him and he couldn't help but grin as he slowly reached forward and grasped the handle of the cabinet.

"Yah, well, hate to say it, babydoll, but eventually ya gonna have to realize that I'm good at other things that are not directly related to the bedroom." He told her and Tessa rolled her eyes, although she couldn't help but swallow heavily as he mentally prepared himself to throw open the cabinet, speaking not one of them had any idea what could be in there.

When he finally grew the balls to yank open the cabinet door, Tessa immediately jumped, not because it was a walker crouching in wait for them like they had thought, but because it was a possum who immediately fixed its beady black eyes onto them and let out a dangerous-sounding 'hiss' as it backed itself further into one of the cabinet's corners. An arrow loosed itself from the crossbow and embedded itself in the possum's head before either of them almost knew it and when Daryl straightened up and glanced at Tessa, still grinning, she let out another roll of her eyes as she turned around and began opening the cabinets again.

"_Hello_ dinner!" He spoke up as Tessa opened one of the cabinets and immediately grinned herself when she saw the full tins of baby formula sitting there.

"Yeah, I love you baby, but I am _not_ putting that in my bag!" She told him with a snort of laughter as she plopped her bag on the counter and began loading it with all the tins of baby formula she could fit in the leather space. Daryl glanced at her.

"I wasn' gonna. Did ya notice how _I _was the one who walked towards it and not ya?" He replied, slightly snidely but still teasingly and Tessa shot him a dirty look over her shoulder as she closed the cabinet and turned back to him after latching her bag shut and swinging it over her shoulder.

"That's all I can hold and if we need anymore, we can always come back and search for some more, speaking this is a bigger place than I thought it was. We should go, though – before we lose the daylight." She told him, her voice terse as she squeezed by him and headed down the hallway to the front door he had walked in through. When she didn't hear his booted feet behind her on the wood floor, she paused, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion. Why wasn't he following her?

She opened her mouth to call out to him – to ask him what was up, but she found herself silenced when hands closed around her upper arms that thrust her backwards against the nearest wall as lips descended onto hers. His lips were chapped and his tongue was hot as he demanded entry into her mouth. Teeth found her bottom lip and her groan of desire became a groan of slight pain. Despite the ferocity of his kiss, however, he wrapped his lips around her bottom one before sucking, his tongue swiping over the cut to ease the pain and that groan of slight pain returned to the groan of desire it had been previously as she moved to sink her hands into his hair, pulling him closer to her.

"What was that for?" She asked him, breathless, when their kiss finally slowed and they broke apart, eyes foggy with lust and Daryl grinned.

"Because, after everythin' that has gone on our last couple of days in Hell, it has jus' occurred to me that ya need kissing - badly! Tha's what's wrong with ya. Ya should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." Tessa couldn't help but grin back, immediately recognizing the famous Rhett Butler line he employed and she pulled him back down to her, where her lips met his again for a moment. It was a softer, more loving kiss and when they broke apart, he held her close for a moment before she gently pushed him away and they headed for the front door. She couldn't help but feel a little bit irritated towards him, though. That first kiss made her want him – _bad _– and while she didn't doubt that he wanted her too (she had felt it when he had pressed her up against the wall) she still had a few weeks to go before sex could even become an option for them and she knew that fact alone had given him the strength he needed to slow their kiss and pull apart from her.

"Ya want to talk 'bout anythin' 'fore we get back? 'Fore ya get swamped by questions from the others?" He asked her, his voice coming out gentle and comforting as they exited the daycare and headed for the parked bike, his hand settling onto the small of her back as they walked. She glanced at him, feeling a shiver of warmth bloom on her body underneath his hand.

"Like what - the fact that I could rip your fucking clothes off right now or the fact that only a few hours ago, I had to butcher my friend in order to save her baby?"

Daryl looked away and chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment, knowing that the Best Damn Mood Killer of the Year award had to go to her at that moment for her cold words.

And to think . . . they could have done just a _little _bit more than just simply cuddle that night.

"Tess, ya didn' butcher Lori -!"

"How do you know? It's not like you were there with us, Daryl!" She told him as she came to a firm stop beside him. He stopped with her and they turned to face each other, Tessa's eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly in an emotion that he couldn't rightly decipher. He saw her red-stained hands ball into fists at her sides, though, and knew that she was hurting more than she wanted to admit to both of them at that moment, which was probably why she was lashing out at him instead of someone else. She knew Daryl would take it because he wouldn't blame her. She might not be so lucky with someone else in the group.

"I had to _cut _her open to get that baby out, not because I wanted to – but because she _made_ me! She looked me in the eyes and told me to do it because she would rather her baby live instead of her," She shook her head, her eyes shining with tears that she was shocked that she could still manage to make. "How do you cope with that, Daryl? How do you cope with your best friend telling you she loved you and then telling her son the same before you cut her open like a deer in order to save her baby? Now, my best friend in the entire world right now, is dead and all I'm left with is her fucking baby with _Shane_ of all men!" She swallowed hard then and Daryl immediately pulled her into a tight embrace against him. Daryl didn't know what to say so he simply stood there, holding her, as she cried some more, her hands balling into his shirt as she clung to him.

"And you want to know what's so bad – why this is _so_ damn hard for me?" She continued when they finally broke apart, and Daryl continued to stay silent as Tessa, wiping away her tears with the heels of her hands, sniffed. "The normal way I would cope with this, I can't use right now because I can't have sex with you for _God _only knows how much longer and even though it is at the very fucking _top _of the list of What-I-Would-Chop-My Arm-Off-to-Do-Right-Now!" She placed a resounding punch into his chest then as she spoke those words through angrily gritted teeth and he stood there and allowed her to, still not knowing what to say.

"Tess, I don't . . . I don't know what to say -!"

"Save it; of course you don't! Let's just go, okay? We're burning daylight and the others are probably wondering where we are." She muttered as she quickly wiped away the last of her tears and turned to head back towards the bike. He rubbed his face with his hands too for a moment before turning to follow her.

"You don' think I wish for that too?" He asked her, his voice laced with slight irritation. "You don' think I would give an arm and a leg to be able to have sex with ya tonight? Do ya _know _how badly I am burnin' for ya? Hand only gets ya so much satisfaction, Tess!" The last sentence came out a tad bit more condescending than he had originally intended, but thankfully, Tessa only heaved a sigh and nodded as she turned to face him again.

"Of _course _I know that, Daryl! Hell, I _felt _it when you shoved me against the wall in there! The point is, though, that one of Lori's arguments was that _you_ could help me cope with this! And you _can_, Daryl – you know you can, simply by being with me when I need you or when I feel exhausted or whatever else you do for me already that you just discount as meaningless motions but I count as being some of your sincerest forms of affection!" She told him before she gave a snort of laughter. "And I don't want that to stop, it's just the normal way you would help me cope is temporarily marked off for me! And you know me – I'm not exactly one who can just come out and tell people what's wrong with her!" Daryl couldn't help but nod in agreement as he stepped closer to her. He gently took up her hands and pulled her closer to him, where his head moved down to touch hers. She nodded and swallowed hard. "Stuff like this . . ." She murmured and he nodded as well.

"As much as I would give to be able to be inside ya tonight, believe it or not, I am content with simply jus' bein' here for ya, Tess – as long as ya need me to." He assured her and she smiled tearfully then as they stood there for a moment, blissfully burning daylight but Tessa found that she didn't mind. The longer she stood there, the more she slowly felt her aching heart lose some of its pain.

* * *

When they had finally returned to the prison, it was nightfall and the baby's loud cries were clearly agitating and irritating everyone. Wren and Beth had closed the door to the Guard Office in the hopes that the baby's cries wouldn't disturb the twins, but it had proven to be been a useless gesture. Their cries could be heard in the Office as well and as Tessa and Daryl entered the prison, they could see the looks of relief echoing on everyone's faces.

She could hear Daryl's gentle shushing as he carefully took the baby from Carl and although her body thrummed and her mind screamed for her to run up to her own children and to see to them first, she immediately cast the thoughts aside. At that moment, Lori's baby was who needed her most at that moment and she and Daryl would simply have to check on their own in a few minutes.

The baby's cries had lowered a few octaves in Daryl's gently bouncing arms and Tessa wanted to shake her head in amusement. She swore – that man had the touch of the Gods when it came to babies. Her mother would have said he was simply a natural-born father but the thought were quickly pushed from her head as well as Daryl moved over to her and quietly told her to hurry up. She could feel his tense body language and the way his eyes would dart up to the Guard Office where their own children were crying and realized that he was like her. He was fighting tooth and nail to take care of the baby that needed them most at that moment, instead of their own that were quite alright on their own for a few more moments.

She quickly fit a rubber nipple onto the plastic bottle and after readying the bottle of formula, turned and handed it to him. He took it from her and, still shushing the baby, began feeding her. Grins appeared on everyone's faces at the big tough walker hunter Daryl Dixon so expertly feeding a baby and it took her a moment to realize that none of them had ever really witnessed him interacting with Danny or Aayla much. Only she, Beth and Wren were the only real witnesses to how good with children the man really was speaking the twins almost never left the Guard Office and even then, Tessa couldn't help but feel a twinge of _something _warm and fluffy move inside her at the look of her man expertly taking care of a baby.

"Have ya got a name for her yet?" Daryl asked, posing the question to Carl and the young boy shrugged his shoulders as he glanced at Ethan and Seth standing not that far away, their arms crossed in front of their chests as well.

"N-Not yet, but . . . I've been bouncing ideas off of Ethan and Seth and . . . and I was thinking maybe . . . Sophia?" He posed and immediately by the tensing of everyone's body language, he and Tessa could tell that, that name didn't particularly hit a chord. Daryl's eyes met with Tessa over Carl's head, who had crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest. "There's Carol too and . . . Andrea and Amy . . . Jacqui . . . Patricia . . ." He shook his head then as he turned around, his voice growing quiet. "I don't know though."

Daryl, whose face had been expressionless, suddenly grew softer as he turned his eyes down onto the baby in his arms. "Ya like that? Huh – ya like that Little Ass Kicker?" He grinned then as his eyes connected with an amused Tessa's before moving to the people grouped around them. "That's a good name, right? Little Ass Kicker?" Everyone laughed then except for Tessa but she had her own reasons for not laughing.

A particularly loud cry of Danny's split through the air and Tessa's eyes shot up to the Guard Office like a hound dog who had caught the scent of pray and by the immediate flickering of Daryl's eyes upwards too, she could tell it had immediately bothered him too. She gave him a soft smile though and shook her head. "I'll look after them, baby, don't worry none." She assured him and he nodded slowly as he returned to feeding the baby as she turned and headed slowly up the stairs towards the Guard Office. She opened the door when she reached it and the look of relief on Wren's face when she saw her immediately made Tessa's face soften and her heart ache.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry!" She murmured with an apologetic shake of her head and Wren smiled and shook her head as well as she got up with Danny in her arms and moved over to her.

"No, no, no, don't worry about it. You were worrying about Lori's baby and . . . I can completely understand! And besides, they were fine until the baby started crying and no one could get it to stop. Hungry, right?" She assured her as she handed Tessa her son and Danny's cries became muffled as she hugged her son to her, his chin moving onto her shoulder as she gently bounced him up and down. She nodded.

"Yeah, but Daryl's feeding her now and she should be fine. I'll stay with them for the rest of the night. You go down and get yourself some supper and have a nice long sleep. I'm going to feed them myself and then go to bed too, I think." Wren smiled and nodded as Tessa leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on her forehead before stepping aside and allowing the young girl to leave. She then moved over to the bunk, where Aayla was lying, crying as well. She took a seat behind her as she gently placed the now silent Danny down and picked up her little girl. Aayla's cries gradually came to a stop in her mother's arms and Tessa let out a smile and a light laugh then as she brushed her daughter's soft, downy black hair out of her face. "So this is the night you decide to not wait for your daddy to stop crying, huh? Taking it easy on your mother tonight, are you?" She asked her as she adjusted her shirt and brought her to her breast. The baby immediately latched onto the nipple, her small, warm hand flattening out on the olive-colored flesh that made up the top of her breast, and Tessa immediately gave a roll of her eyes and a laugh. "And it figures that tonight would be the night that you decide you _maybe _want to experience the other nipple, too, huh?"

She sat there in silence and nursed her daughter for a moment, only throwing up a cursory glance upwards when the door opened and Daryl entered. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he closed the door behind him. "Is that . . . is that _Aayla_?" He asked and she nodded in reply, a grin appearing on her face.

"Yup, it's Aayla, believe it or not."

"And she's on the other nipple for once?"

"Yup; it shocked me too."

Daryl gave a little laugh then and a shake of his head. "Who are ya and what have ya done wit ma sweet-pea?" He asked teasingly as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her head before moving away. He pulled off his shirt and toed off his boots before returning to the bunk. He sat down beside her and gently picked up Danny as Aayla's eyes began to get heavy with sleep. He cradled his son in his arms as Tessa smiled and gently detached herself from her daughter.

"Here, she's getting tired; I think she's done for tonight. I'll trade you for Danny." She told him and Daryl nodded as he leaned over and upon pulling the clothe cradle closer to them, traded his son for his daughter before gently placing her in her makeshift cradle. Aayla shifted and yawned before closing her eyes and quickly falling asleep as Danny latched onto her other nipple - a tad bit more eagerly than Aayla had. Daryl sat there, leaning back against the wall and watching them, feeling - once again - his mind go back to what needed to be done tomorrow and he quickly went over the mental checklist. He would have to see that graves were dug for Lori, Carol and T-Dog in the morning – good way to put Oscar and Axel to use, he supposed. He would also personally have to see to the creation of their headstones, the same as he had done for Dale and Sophia. They may have had their disagreements, but Lori didn't deserve to die the way she did and Tessa didn't deserve to be the one who had done that to her, who had . . . _butchered_ her, as Tessa was hellbent on describing it.

With the loss of Lori and Carol and the addition of the new baby, he also had no doubt that Tessa would find her time cut even more into – so much so that he could tell it was going to take a toll on her not being able to mourn for a good friend - something she would need to do, he suspected. Even her and Carol had started to grow close towards the end and to a certain degree, he was sure she was mourning her as well. But at least she still had Beth, Wren and Maggie to help with the kitchen, laundry and baby duties.

"Ya gonna be okay these next couple of days, babydoll?" He asked her, his voice quiet, and Tessa glanced at him over her shoulder as she continued to feed Danny and after a moment of wondering what he meant by that, nodded with dawning realization.

"Y-Yeah, I think so. I have Wren and Beth and Maggie to help me and . . ." She gave a shrug then. "It's not something I'm not used to doing on my semi-own anyway, so . . ." She trailed off then and Daryl nodded after Tessa carefully detached herself from her son when his eyes began to grow tired as well. She placed him gently in the cradle beside his twin sister and she sat there for a moment, gazing down at her children and watching them sleep. She so far gone in her thoughts, that she hardly noticed when Daryl had leaned forward and pressed his lips to the back of her shoulder.

"If it means anythin', Tessa . . . I'm glad ma children have a mother."

Any other woman might have grown angry at those words – might have called them mean and selfish – but Tessa didn't see them as such. She knew Daryl – she knew how he thought and she knew he hadn't meant them that way – not entirely. She knew how he had meant those words – what they had meant to him and if she had to admit something . . . she was glad her children had a father.


	45. Chapter 45

**This chapter came up for a lot of reasons - mainly to tide you guys over, speaking I'm still working on the Big Chapter that will continue along the pathway of the TV show. Also, I feel like I have partially abandoned Ethan and I feel kinda (okay, _really) _bad about that, so I wrote this chapter as mainly another Daryl/Ethan bonding chapter before the real drama comes. That being said, there's also a little drama in it too (although not much), so I hope this will tide you guys over until the time I choose to bitch slap you guys with some _major_ drama :)**

**HaloHunter89: Thanks for the nice long review - I needed one! I hate it when I don't get a nice long review sometimes because then I don't know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong, so once again, thanks! As for everything you've asked, I know you guys hate to hear it, but you just gotta keep reading! A lot of it will be addressed in the next chapter, so don't worry, you'll get answers soon :)  
**

**Smittendebs and HermioneandMarcus: Thanks for liking it so much - I'll try to keep the chapters juicy :)**

**Maddy-MarieXO: I know, I've always had a hard time liking Carol and I suppose its just the way I've been writing her lately, but I've kinda started growing attached to her - as I'VE written her. I have no doubt that I'll be continued to be irked by her in the show but that's somewhat different ha ha.**

* * *

She found him sitting up against a wall in one of the darkest corners of the abandoned cellblock, eyes as empty as the dead walkers that littered the cellblock and the space around him and his body covered in sweat and dried blood. Tessa had seen and stepped over the bodies that littered her path to the abandoned cellblock that had been where Lori had breathed her last and knew exactly how Rick had vented his anger and frustrations. She was looking for him, in fact, and when she finally found him, the plate of food in her hand suddenly seemed obsolete.

"Hey . . . Rick . . .?"

His eyes flickered up to her but his face remained largely expressionless and he didn't move a muscle, even when she took a hesitant step towards him. She stood there for a moment, shifting nervously from foot-to-foot and wondered if he had truly registered that she was standing there. "I . . . we didn't know if you had food or even if you were hungry, but . . ." She shifted the plate a little in her hand and gave a light little laugh. "We didn't want to take any chances."

There was still no answer and she heaved a sigh then as she set the plate of food down on two pipes jutting from the wall side-by-side before moving to crouch down in front of him. "Rick, listen, you have to come back with me. You have to get out of those clothes and . . . Jesus _Christ_, you look like you might be on the verge of being sick too!" He gave a little laugh at the worry in her voice, and shook his head in slight awe.

"Why does it shock me that you're the one trying to drag me out of this Hell when no one else is?" He asked and she sat there for a moment before answering, her voice quiet:

"Its because I know what Hell you're going through." She told him and his eyes finally focused on hers. She nodded. "I lost Lori too. Not in the way you or Carl lost her, that is true, but still . . . I lost her all the same."

"How's the baby?"

"She's doing well. Me and Daryl got her formula yesterday and she's eating good. Hershel has also given her his stamp of approval, so she's healthy, thank God."

"Given the circumstances, you mean?"

Tessa stayed quiet for a moment at his muttered words before nodding and averting her eyes to the cement floor. "Yeah . . . given the circumstances . . ."

"How's everything else?"

"Daryl's doing the best he can with Glenn and Ethan and Seth and everyone else helping him, but it's taking its toll on him, Rick! That's another reason you've got to come back quickly - Daryl's not used to leading – he's not used to everything falling on his shoulders and everyone coming to him panicked when something doesn't work or go exactly the way we envisioned it," She shook her head. "He can't do this alone!" Rick let out a scoff of laughter then.

"I should have figured that this would have been about Daryl."

"What do you mean?" The words fell quickly from Tessa's mouth as soon as she registered the words that had fallen from his, her eyebrows furrowing in slight confusion. Rick simply shrugged and shook his head.

"I should have figured that the real reason you came down here was because of Daryl. Fuck the food, fuck me – fuck everything else! You were only worried about _Daryl_!"

"Rick, he's my -!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Do me a favor and don't remind me!" His voice was bitter and slightly angry when he spoke and Tessa could only shake her head.

"Rick, believe it or not, I am worried about _more_ than just Daryl right now. I am worried about what the Hell we are going to do with three babies now _and _juggle our regular duties! I am worried about food supplies and ever since Andrew let in the walkers – I'm worried about security despite how many times Daryl and Glenn have assured me that it will never happen again! I'm worried about you too and you can be as angrily _whatever _as you want to be at me, but you _need _to come back! For the good of the group and for the _good _of your children – you _need _to come back with me!" He gave another half-shrug then and a light laugh.

"Of course, because - after all – how could I ever hope to wrest the Father-of-the-Year award away from Daryl?" He asked, his voice turning bitterly sarcastic, and it was then that Tessa slowly shook her head in disgust.

"You know what? _Fuck_ you Rick. Come back when you want to, or _don't_ - I don't even care right now! Hell, I don't even want to talk to you when you're acting like this!" She got to her feet then and moved to walk away, however, his hand suddenly shooting out and clamping down around her wrist, kept her from going much of anywhere. She spun around on her heels at the feeling and when her eyes landed on him, it was then that Rick got slowly to his feet. She watched him warily, her eyes pinned on his and he shot her a curious look.

"Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Because I've been in a situation similar to this one, with a man who had the very same look on his face, and I don't aim to find myself in one again." She answered him without skipping a beat – her heart pounding in her chest and her voice terse - and Rick swallowed hard as he slowly let go of her wrist. She nodded in thanks as Rick stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean those words to come out the way they did." He apologized and she nodded.

"I know. But for some reason, you needed to hear someone tell you 'fuck you', I think." He shook his head then and after swallowing hard, looked away.

"Tess, I don't . . . I don't think I can go back there yet. I can't . . . I can't face not seeing Lori and T and Carol not be in there right now. I can't . . ." He shook his head again. "I _can't_ look at that baby right now!" She nodded in understanding.

"I can understand that, Rick, but the group needs you – it needs its leader. And while Daryl might be your second, he's _not_ the leader – don't for a minute think he is. And while he might not admit it – he is out there struggling right now to do the job that should be yours and that _has _been yours since you first arrived in the camp!" She shook her head. "I'm not saying do not mourn for her – for any of them, in fact, because,_ believe me_, Rick – I _am_ mourning for all of them right now! Hell, _everybody_ is - you are not the only one. You are different, though, because one was your wife and your children's mother and everyone understands that. We just want you back!"

Smooth hands fluttered across his cheeks and his forehead then and it took him a moment to realize that they were Tessa's hands as she smoothed the hair back from his somewhat heated brow. "Jesus, Rick, you look horrible! And you feel hot as a damn furnace!" She murmured as her eyebrows furrowed in concern. Although he knew the concern stemmed mainly from her role as the group's Den Mother, he still couldn't help but remember that she would do the very same thing to Daryl whenever she was pregnant and he would be sitting or kneeling and caressing her stomach while she stood in front of him. Only difference was that a look of love and adoration would be on her face and in her eyes whenever she would gaze down at Daryl in those instances, not concern like she was gazing at him with now.

He felt a pang of guilt in his heart and silently moved his head out of the way of her stroking her grip as he fell back against the wall slightly. She turned a slightly confused look on him then and he shook his head in reply. Here Lori was, lying dead in a room not that far away from them (a room that he had saw Tessa purposefully avoid with her eyes when she first entered and made her way over to him) and entertaining thoughts about her best friend. This is why he shouldn't go back at that moment – for very reasons like those.

"You should go back to the others, Tess. I'll . . . I'll be back when I feel up to it, okay? Thanks for the food." She gazed at him for a moment before slowly nodding and getting to her feet. He noticed the hesitation in her movements and urged her to go faster. She didn't need to be in walls containing such death and decay . . . such horrible memories.

Finally, she turned around and left him then, where she headed to the door she had entered through. This time, though, she didn't leave with blood staining her hands and carrying Lori's struggling baby. This time, she left with her hands as clean as when she went in and immediately took a deep breath of fresh air as the door closed behind her. Compared to the stench of death and decay that laced every inch of space in the cellblock, the air outside was fresh and sweet from that morning's rainstorm. It was amazing . . . cleansing, almost.

"How's he doin'?"

Tessa's head automatically turned so that her eyes could fall onto Daryl when she heard his voice approaching her. She smiled a small, weary smile. "He's . . . _here_, but not here, if that makes any sense," She gave a weak shrug then as she moved down the steps and met him halfway. "He's a no go for now, baby." She heard Daryl cursed underneath his breath and saw the weariness in his face and in his eyes as he looked away. Her heart gave a pang of sorrow as she stood there and observed him for a moment. She hadn't been lying when she told Rick that Daryl wasn't used to being a leader; he didn't look too good. The bags underneath his eyes were not going away or getting any better and he seemed jumpy and agitated. She also wouldn't be surprised if he was developing a little bit of insomnia. He didn't seem to sleep that much anymore and the sleep he did have was short and light. Tessa had hoped that by her going to see Rick, she would have been able to persuade him to come back to the group for the sake of everyone, not just Daryl, but of course she hadn't had any such luck. She should have known better when Glenn came back the first time and said that Rick had almost killed him because he thought he was a walker.

"Daryl, it'll be okay - I promise!" She assured him as she took him into her arms and hugged him close. He joyfully sunk into her embrace, seemingly bone-tired, and when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him even more, she could feel the weariness running through every cord of muscle in his body as they relaxed as much as they could in her arms while standing up.

"I hope so, Tess; I really, _really_ hope so -!"

"Hey deddy, you got a minute?"

Daryl immediately tensed again at the sound of Ethan's voice floating over to them as he crossed the blacktop towards them, and this time, Tessa was the one who wanted to curse their son for interrupting the moment. Daryl had been as relaxed as he had been for the first time in God only knew how long! It figured that something would have to happen to call back his attention before he got _too _relaxed.

They broke apart and Daryl turned around, where the both of them watched Ethan make his way over to them, bow shouldered and pistol holstered at his hip. "Yeah, what ya need?" He asked and Ethan shrugged.

"It's nothin' big, but . . . last time me and Seth went huntin' we came across this buck. It was huge, deddy – I'm talking a sixteen pointer at the most! Well, we ended up losing it . . ."

"Did ya try trackin' it?"

"Of course I did, but the track got muddied on down the line and I lost it. I was wonderin' if you wanted to come out and give it a shot, since you notice a little bit more than I do. _Sixteen _pointer, deddy! Do ya know how much meat that is?"

Of course Daryl knew how much meat that was – it was an ass load! They could live off that meat for a good while!

Daryl adopted a look of longing on his face as he turned his eyes onto the tree line outside of the prison walls, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his lip as he did so. There would be nothing else in the entire world that he would rather do than go hunting at that moment. In the woods, there would be no worries, no duties – just him, Ethan, his crossbow and all the animals they could drag back.

Except for this time. This time it was a deer and if the buck was as huge as Ethan said it was, then they couldn't pass this up!

Tessa eyes softened as she placed a loving hand on his chest. Daryl's eyes flickered down to hers and she nodded in the direction of the forest. "Go on, Daryl – go get us that buck. I can see that you want to go more than anything right now and I promise that we can hold down the fort for an hour or two. You need to go blow off some steam and if this accomplishes that, then great!"

"Are ya _sure _ya guys can handle things while I'm gone, babydoll?" He asked as a slightly apprehensive gaze appeared on his face, and Tessa rolled her eyes and nodded as a grin appeared on hers. She then pushed him and her son in the direction of the fence. Ethan readily trotted in its direction but Daryl dug his heels into the blacktop slightly and turned around to face her again when he didn't feel her pushing him anymore. "And what happens if somethin' happens and I ain' here?"

"Then I suppose we're just gonna have to handle it ourselves until you two get back, now won't we?" She replied simply and Daryl shot her a look, one she immediately combated with a stern one of her own.

"Daryl, honey, I love you, but you _need _to get out of here for a few hours! If you have to make one more decision that is normally handled by Rick, then I am afraid that you're gonna put the barrel of that pistol against your head and pull the trigger! Not-to-mention, you haven't spent _any_ time with Ethan lately and he's as much your kid as Danny and Aayla are!" She nodded to the forest. "Now go, and for the love of God – have fun for once – the both of you!" Ethan nodded and Daryl gave her one last look, one she couldn't help but smile and shake her head at as she stood up on her tip-toes and pressed a loving kiss to his cheek. "Baby – _go_!"

Finally Daryl nodded and after hefting his crossbow further up his shoulder, turned and trotted after Ethan. She stood there and watched the both of them go through the gate and through the tied shut part of the fence before finally disappearing into the woods. When she had lost sight of them in the thick, dark foliage, she turned around and headed back into the cellblock.

* * *

"Ya first saw him standin' right here?" Ethan nodded as Daryl bent down and observed the leafy forest floor. Sure enough, he saw the deer tracks imprinted in the muddy ground and was partially amazed the tracks had held through that morning's rain, as light as it had been.

"And then one of us stepped on a twig and it broke . . ."

_Seth . . ._ Daryl immediately thought, knowing his son would not be nearly as stupid as to break a damn twig when such a big slab of meat was standing in front of them. Ethan nonetheless continued on: "The buck heard it; it scared him off and then he went runnin' in that general direction."

"When did ya lose him?"

"Over here. Don't know how I could have, to be honest."

"Don' beat yaself up over it. What's done is done and we'll find him." Daryl muttered as he got to his feet and headed carefully in the direction his son had pointed. When he reached it, he bent down again and observed the ground. His eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion when he saw that there were no tracks. Here, the ground was absolutely bare – as fresh as the newly driven snow. Even the grass and the brush around it seemed undisturbed. "Must have jumped . . ." He spoke, more to himself than to Ethan, as he stood up and gazed ahead. Buck as big as a sixteen pointer (if Ethan hadn't been seeing things, of course) would have had one Hell of a jumping range.

"How far could he have jumped?" Ethan asked and Daryl shook his head.

"Dunno. They can jump pretty far to begin with and a sixteen pointer . . . who can tell?" He stepped carefully over the place where Ethan reported him being, and continued on, his eyes diligently scanning the ground. Ethan stepped where he stepped and when Daryl suddenly stopped, Ethan had no choice but to slam into his back. Daryl caught him before he could fall and pointed to the place where he could stand. "Come 'round here – ya should be good to stand there . . ." Ethan moved where he was pointed and it was then that Daryl nodded to the ground in front of him. "Buck did jump – he landed right there. Ya can see in the mud where he landed . . ." Ethan nodded, indeed seeing where he had landed and Daryl pointed off into a thicket. "He went through there and continued on that way some ways. Come on, looks like we can walk 'round it."

They continued on then and Daryl could see Ethan shaking his head. "I still can't see how I missed it, deddy! It should have occurred to me that he had jumped!"

"Why didn' it? Ethan, its not like ya to momentarily forget how to track! That's like me forgettin' how to track – it don' happen!" He spoke and Ethan shrugged.

"I was lookin' away when he ran – thought I saw a walker in the trees some ways to my left – that's why I wasn't paying attention myself. When I turned around, he was gone and Seth told me that he had ran off, although he hadn't seen in what direction. He didn't say anything about him jumping, either. Like I said, it should have occurred to me that he had jumped." Daryl scoffed.

"Oh, of course he didn' . . ."

Ethan gave him a curious look. "What makes you say that?" Daryl shook his head.

"I know he's ya friend and I love Wren to death – she's almost like ma daughter – you know that! Seth, though . . . I don' trust him. I never have and I don' think I'm ever gonna! There's jus' somethin' 'bout the kid that strikes me as . . . almost dangerous, ya know?" Ethan nodded in understanding and Daryl glanced at him then. "Have ya seen anythin' that could . . . ya know . . . suggest such a thing?" Ethan laughed as he glanced at him.

"Deddy, I know that your gut steers ya right in a lot of things, but I think it's just ya being paranoid this time. I've known Seth since we were kids – I grew up with Wren! I . . . I've grown to like Wren. And Seth . . . yeah, Seth didn't mention to me that the damn buck had jumped, but is that enough to not trust him?" Daryl glanced at him before shaking his head.

"I guess not, but it figures that ya wouldn' listen to me. Ya momma didn' listen to me and now ya ain' listenin' to me." Ethan shook his head.

"It's not that we're not listening to you, deddy, it's just that we think you _might _be wrong in this instance! I mean, have you once tried to get to know him?" Daryl stayed silent then, knowing that he rightfully had not once sat down with the kid and did what Ethan had said: got to know him. His son gave a laugh then and nodded. "Exactly. Get to know him, deddy, and then if you still have these feelings, come talk to me and momma again. After all, I hardly said a thing when we first came to the group. If ya think about it, Seth ain't that far off from me." Daryl shook his head.

"Now that's one thing I do know for damn sure, Ethan: Seth ain' nothin' like ya. And if ya tell me that again, the buck will be the least of ya problems!"

* * *

Daryl had nearly shit his pants when they finally managed to track down the buck and he saw how big it was. Easily standing four feet tall, he couldn't help but allow his heart to race when he aimed crossbow on it and pulled the trigger. The arrow shot cleanly into its chest and with a pained call, the buck reared up on its hind legs before turning and running off in the opposite direction.

He was easy to track after that. All they needed to do was follow was the trail of blood and when they finally caught up to him, he was lying dead on his side, of blood loss or because the arrow had nicked his heart when he was running, they wouldn't know until they gutted and dressed him.

"Great . . . now how are we gonna drag this big son-of-a-bitch back to the prison?" Ethan asked and Daryl sighed and shook his head.

"Have no idea . . . there's no way in Hell we can get the truck back here."

"Could we drag it all the way back?" He asked and Daryl glanced at him, a look of skepticism on his face.

"Dunno . . . we could try, but I doubt it. Fucker's dead weight will make him weight a Goddamn ton! Not-to-mention his rack will catch on everything, as well as his legs . . ." He shook his head. "I ain' gonna lie - it'll be Hell." Ethan heaved a sigh and shook his head as he gestured to the buck's massive rack.

"Well get up there by the rack, I guess. It seems like we're gonna have to drag this fucker back and since you're the . . . _strongest_, you can take the head." He told him and Daryl shot him a look as he nonetheless moved to stand up by the buck's head.

"Was that 'bout to border on an 'old man' jab?" He asked and Ethan shrugged, although a teasing gleam had laid claim to his eyes.

"Take it as I said it, 'cause you'll never know, deddy."

* * *

When they finally managed to drag the buck back to the prison, it was bordering on dark and the truck was already sitting by the woods. Daryl and Ethan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Daryl briefly left his son and the buck to go look in the front window of the truck. Sure enough, the keys had been left in the ignition and Daryl simply shrugged as he turned around and headed back to Ethan and the scratched and battered buck.

"Keys were in the ignition." He spoke and as took down the tailgate and Ethan couldn't help but grin.

"Momma must have figured we'd be back by nightfall – especially if she thought the buck was as big as I said it was."

"Which it _was_!" Daryl grunted as they managed to lift the front half of the buck into the bed of the truck. Ethan kept it steady as Daryl quickly hopped up in the bed and after grasping the rack, pulled up the rest of it with a grunt. When that was done, Daryl stood there for a minute and caught his breath as Ethan closed the tailgate. He then slumped against the metal gate then as the both of them suddenly felt the weariness and soreness descend upon them with the heaviness of a Mac Truck that could only have come from lugging the big son-of-a-bitch through probable _miles _of untamed wilderness to get back to the prison.

"Come on, we can rest when we get back. Out here, we're targets." Daryl spoke as he nodded to a couple of walkers who had caught their scent and were now shambling towards them. Ethan nodded as he jogged to the passenger seat and hopped in. Daryl hopped down from the bed and slipped into the driver's side, cutting on the engine seconds later. After driving carefully up to the prison, the gate was quickly slid open by Glenn and they pulled to a stop not soon after entering the prison yard. Tessa, Maggie and Carl came to greet them, each with a grin on their faces. Tessa's, however, was bigger than the moon.

"Thank ya . . . _so much_, babydoll, for leavin' the truck down there for us!" Daryl thanked her with a weary smile and Tessa laughed and nodded as she allowed him to hug her to him tightly.

"I may be Native American, but I'm also a Southern girl, Daryl. I know a big deer when I hear one and I also know that when you have a big deer, you also need a truck. And I see that you . . . _Holy shit_! You guys weren't kidding, were you baby?" She asked, her eyes growing wide when she saw the massive deer laying dead in the back of the truck. Ethan and Daryl shook their heads as she left his embrace and headed to the bed with Maggie, Carl and Glenn.

"You guys dragged this monster all the way from the woods?" Glenn asked, wonderment taking a hold of his features and Daryl nodded.

"It was a couple miles at the least."

"That's why we were so happy when we saw that momma had left us the truck." Ethan grinned and Tessa nodded.

"Now I'm glad that I did! You guys must be _exhausted_!"

"Pretty damn." Daryl answered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand and Tessa wrinkled her nose.

"You smell bad too." She muttered as she gazed at him over her shoulder, and Daryl shot her a look that she couldn't decide if it was between sarcasm or amusement.

"Well, that's what ya get for lugging this big sumbitch through the woods on a hot Goddamn spring day, babydoll!" He answered her and she grinned and laughed as she turned back to observing the deer with the rest of them.

"Well we got the showers working – _finally_! - so if you even _want_ to sleep in the bunk with me tonight, then I suggest you go shower off." Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Of course I have to. Is the water hot or cold?"

"Now, what do you think sweet thing?"

"It's cold, ain' it?"

"Of course. Just because we got the showers running doesn't mean we located the hot water heater . . . _if_ there is one here, anyway."

Daryl heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes. "That figures, now don' it? Day just couldn' get any better for me, could it?"

"You never know, it might . . ." Tessa replied mysteriously and the sly smile she threw him over her shoulder immediately made him want to go take that shower.

* * *

"Mmm . . . harder, babydoll . . ."

"Daryl, I'm going as hard as I fucking can!"

"No ya ain' – ya holdin' back on me - I know ya are! I ain' gonna break – so go fuckin' _harder_!"

Tessa rolled her eyes as she bore the heels of her hands deeper into Daryl's shoulder. He let out a pleasured groan at that and she rolled her eyes again as she shifted her weight to a more comfortable seat on the small of his back. Her eyes ran over the countless scars littering his back as she sat there, worrying away the kinks and knots in his shoulders and she shook her head as she took one of her hands away to brush a lock of ebony hair behind her ear.

"Sometimes I feel like I spoil you . . ." She muttered and he grinned and nodded.

"Ya do – and ya say that like it's a bad thing, too, even though I'd hate to disagree with ya!" She gave a half-shrug.

"Well half the time, I do shit for you and don't expect a thing in return – call that scumbag love. But then some of the time I do shit for you and even if I _don't _expect a thing in return, you sometimes surprise me, so I suppose it's not _too _much of a bad thing, is it?"

"Is this gonna be one of those times where ya gonna expect me to surprise ya?" He asked and she slowed down slightly before speeding back up. She shook her head.

"No, I'm doing this 'cause ya need it, Daryl. So, no, I don't expect anything in return."

"Good, 'cause then ya ain' gonna see this comin'!"

Tessa let out a grin and a laugh as Daryl sat up, Tessa sliding off his back onto the bunk behind her. He turned around and caught himself on his hands and then his forearms above her as their lips caught. Once again, she felt her breath leave her as the kiss deepened and she arched underneath him as he slid one of her legs up to hook around his waist. Her fingers slid into his hair and she couldn't help but think about how his skin felt so warm and how his body just felt so right against hers as his clothed hips rocked against hers. She let out a low moan but had no choice but to reluctantly break apart from him. She did so with a slightly irritated sigh.

"Give me a few more weeks, Daryl, okay? I still feel a little sore . . ." She told him and Daryl pursed his lips but nodded as he leaned down and pressed a loving kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"Of course . . . sorry . . ." He murmured and she shook her head as she slid a hand over his cheek, her thumb running over one of his high cheekbones.

"No, don't be, baby. I _want _to be healed because I _want _you something fierce! But apparently and frustratingly, the still slight soreness of my southern regions protest otherwise!" He grinned then.

"Scumbag body, right?" He muttered and she nodded and gave another laugh as he slid halfway off her before burying his face in the crook of her neck. She hugged him close to her and silently agreed with him, knowing that for now, this would just have to do.


	46. Chapter 46

**Welcome, my lovelies, to the next cubic butt-load of chapters that me and my unofficial Beta have nicknamed, the Hell Chapters. **

**Yeah. Damn.**

**SINCE these chapters are going to be nothing but continuous shotgun blasts of bad shit/drama after bad shit/drama all leading to a climax of epic proportions at the end that involves the long awaited for lemon between Daryl and Tessa (climax - no pun intended (I am also probably gonna get some major hate reviews too in-between, but I promise you that its all gonna come out good in the wash at the end!) I have gone ahead and written them out in advance. So, hopefully, there will be no prolonged bouts of inactivity in-between the chapters like there have been lately because if there are, then the chapters are not going to have the effect that I want them to have. So yeah, you will know when the Hell Chapters end because there will be a totally awesome lemon at the end and I will tell you - any questions? **

**Good - anyways! Yes, HaloHunter89, Rick will eventually get his ass handed to him by Daryl, don't worry - that's part of the drama in the upcoming chapters. Keep reading and I promise that you guys won't be disappointed :)**

**And OH yeah, since these chapters are so damn drama-filled, if I don't get lots and lots of reviews for them (which I probably will lol) I will not be a happy author and God only knows what I'll do if I'm not happy . . . ;)**

**So, please, ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seat-belts and make sure your tray-tables are in their upright and locked positions, because this ride's about to get a _Hell _of a lot interesting :)**

**- Nagiana.**

* * *

The day Rick finally came back, they were all grouped in the common room eating. No one there made any sudden movements or seemed especially excited that he was back. Truthfully, not one of them knew exactly how to be around him at that moment and by the look on his face when no one immediately jumped to greet him, he fully realized that.

"Is everyone doing okay?" He asked as he opened the gate and walked in. He was wearing fresh clothes, was clean shaven and had definitely bathed. Tessa nodded as he moved over to the table she was sitting at with some of the others, where he placed a gentle hand on the square of Carl's back. Tessa shifted Aayla in her arms slightly and the little girl let out a sound of protest, one that Danny mimicked as Wren shifted him as well. Rick's baby was off sleeping in one of the cells where Tessa could get up and quickly check on her if need be and she could see that everyone thought it was strange when he didn't immediately wonder after the health of the baby.

"Yeah . . . yeah, everything's fine – you don't have to worry." He nodded as Hershel pinned him with a searching look.

"What about you?" He asked and Rick nodded again.

"I'm fine. I'm just here to check on Carl . . . make sure everyone's doing okay. I cleared out the boiler room, so hopefully we can get some hot water in here soon." He spoke and Daryl nodded to him from his spot sitting on the steps beside Oscar.

"How many walkers were in there?" Rick shrugged.

"I don't know. There was a dozen . . . two dozen, maybe?" Glenn stood then and held Rick's gaze with his own for a moment.

"Look, Rick, we can help with the bodies, if you need the help . . . burning them, I mean." Rick shook his head.

"No . . . no, I can do it," He moved over to Daryl then and everyone turned to watch him – giving him their complete and undivided attention. "Does everyone have a gun and a knife on them?" He asked and Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, but we're runnin' low on ammo." He answered and Glenn nodded.

"Me, Maggie and Tessa were planning on making a run into town soon – maybe find a gun store or something that isn't complete overrun with walkers and that way we won't have to use anymore ammo." Rick nodded as Daryl spoke.

"We cleared out the generator room too. Axel's been tryin' to fix it and since Seth's good with that kind of stuff too, he's been down there as well. In case of an emergency, we're gonna sweep the lower levels too." Rick nodded as he turned and headed back to the gate from whence he had come.

"Good . . . you guys are doing good. Keep on keepin' on."

Hershel called his name as he exited through the gate and closed it shut behind him. He walked off then, ignoring the older man's call for him and the group sat there and fell into an awkward silence then. It took a minute before Hershel got slowly to his feet. "I'm going to go talk to him . . . see if he needs anything." He spoke and although Tessa could see the look of apprehension echoing in Maggie's eyes, she stopped her from protesting with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Maggie glanced at her and Tessa nodded. Glenn had tried to get through to him and then Tessa had tried. They hadn't succeeded (although Tessa liked to think that she made some headway with him the other day) so why not allow someone else to try? It seemed pretty clear they weren't gonna get him back by leaving him alone.

Maggie watched warily as her father made his slow, careful way through the gate and it was then, when they watched him disappear, that she got to her feet with Wren, Danny and Aayla in their arms. Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched them make their way over to him and Tessa smiled a small smile.

"We're going outside for a minute – before I go on the run with Glenn and Maggie. Wanted to give the twins some fresh air and sunshine, you know?" She asked him and he nodded as he scooped up the last bit of food in his bowl.

"Yeah, tha's a good idea - they need it. Take Ethan with ya tho'?" Tessa smiled a small smile and nodded as she bent down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. She felt him relax somewhat underneath her and when she withdrew from him, she found that Ethan had quickly moved to join them. Daryl turned his eyes up to her and finished chewing his food before he spoke. "While ya three do tha', me, Carl and Oscar are prolly gonna go check out the lower levels . . . make sure they're safe, ya know?" She nodded.

"Go easy on him, okay?" She asked him while her voice lowered and he knew she meant Carl. "He's been through a lot, okay? He seems like he needs someone to talk to, too and since Rick a no show, Hershel's too old and Glenn, Seth and Ethan have been too busy, your all that's left. Not-to-mention, you have affinity for kid's that isn't exactly a common thing around here!" She gave a laugh then as she shook her head. "And you don't have to do all that psychoanalyzing bullshit too, just . . . give him someone to vent to if he wants to, okay? You can do at least that, can't you?" Daryl sat there for a minute and thought before he nodded.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I can do tha'. Ya comin' back in 'fore ya three leave?" He asked, nodding towards Glenn and Maggie and she nodded.

"Of course; I can't exactly go with the twins, now can I?" She gave him a smile then – a smile that bordered on a grin. "Why? You want me to kiss you goodbye before I go?" She asked and Daryl returned her smile – a smile that also bordered on a grin.

"Maybe . . . or maybe I'm jus' lookin' for an excuse to kiss ya."

She continued to smile then as she bent down and pressed her lips to his. His hand moved into her hair, keeping her there as they kissed for a minute and when they finally broke apart, she couldn't help but allow him to nuzzle her for a moment.

"That's for if you're not here when I come back in." She whispered to him and she could feel his grin against her cheek.

"Tha' better not be the last one . . ."

"Not on your life, Daryl Dixon."

* * *

"The town seems pretty deserted . . ."

Maggie nodded at Tessa's quiet words as Glenn pulled the truck alongside the right-hand curb and cut the engine. The three of them got out then, Maggie squinting slightly in the harsh glare of the sun as she withdrew her gun from the holster at her hip and as Tessa withdrew her hunting knife from the almost identical holster at her hip as well. "Yeah, it seems to be clear outside." She spoke as they moved to join Glenn, who nodded.

"Okay, let's give the town a quick once over." He spoke and they nodded before Maggie stopped him with a murmured 'hey' and a gentle hand on his shoulder. After placing a chaste kiss on his lips, Tessa simply smiled and had the tact to turn her back when Glenn placed his hands on her neck and returned the kiss. It was still a chaste kiss, but she got it, nonetheless. Not everyone was as big of fans as she and Daryl were at some kinds of PDA, but to them, that was just a simple part of their relationship that had first started when her stomach started to grow. Everyone had quickly grown to pay them no heed when Daryl would place his hands on her stomach and then give her a deep, loving kiss just out of the blue (of course, then again, try telling Daryl that he _couldn't _do that!). That was simply just Daryl and Tessa. But she could totally understand how Maggie and Glenn were – having to be being secretive with their feelings for each other had started out the gate being a way of life for them. They had started out by hiding their relationship from Hershel while she and Daryl had never been ashamed of theirs. But then again, Tessa had never had as domineering a father as Hershel hanging over her head like Maggie had in the beginning, so she supposed she should give them that.

"It's a beautiful day, ain't it?" Tessa spoke loudly but good-naturedly, and the two of them grinned and laughed behind her as Glenn reach into the truck to grab the bolt cutters, where he unclipped the chains wrapped around the handles of the store. He pulled open the doors and the three of them immediately cringed when a group of birds trapped immediately flew out into the bright daylight. Glenn headed into the store as Maggie and Tessa remained outside shining their flashlights in to give the man more light. Maggie grinned.

"Hey Glenn, grab that duck there," She said, motioning towards the plastic duck decoy lying on the ground and Tessa furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion as she glanced at her friend. Glenn apparently had the same idea, for he shot her a similar look.

"What?"

"That duck decoy there – get it!" He gave a laugh.

"Are you serious?" He asked and Maggie nodded as she and Tessa gave a couple of laughs as well.

"Yeah, your damn right I am! Kids growing up in the prison need some toys." She spoke and Tessa nodded in agreement, unable to see any fallacy in the younger girl's argument.

"She's right. The kids will need some toys eventually and we mine-as-well start collecting them now so we don't have to make useless little runs every time Aayla and Lori's baby want a damn Barbie!" She spoke and Glenn rolled his eyes but complied nonetheless as he bent, grabbed up the duck and then threw it to them. Tessa caught it expertly and grinning, tossed into the back of the truck in turn. Glenn moved further into the store then and they stood there in silence for a minute before a grinning Glenn returned a few moments later, the bags he was carrying, positively bulging with stuff.

"Ladies, we have hit the powdered formula jackpot!" he spoke and Tessa and Maggie grinned and nodded.

"Oh thank God!" Maggie spoke as he bent down and unzipped one of the bags, showing them his cache, as well as the grocery basket full of the tins. She shot Tessa a grinning look then. "Maybe now you can give the, uh . . . _twins _a break." She spoke with a wink and Tessa grinned and shook her head as she bent down and started observing the tins in the basket, making sure that Glenn had gotten the right stuff.

"No, it would be selfish for me to switch the twins over when Lori's baby needs it the most and while I have two perfectly good breasts that are working wonders so far!" She shook her head as she glanced up at her friend, the both of them ignoring the way Glenn paused for a moment in organizing the stuff at the mention of Tessa's breasts. Maggie grinned and shook her head. Typical man. "I'd feel bad too. So no, I think the formula will remain strictly for Lori's baby. I'll only start using it if I inexplicably feel the need to wean the twins off me." Maggie gave a shrug then.

"Yeah, I guess that's true, but at least now you and Daryl can some date nights of your own without you guys having to worry about feeding Danny and Aayla. 'Cause I can guarantee you now that one or two nights of three babies feeding on formula ain't gonna make a dent in our supplies for a good long while!" She told her and Tessa grinned and nodded. "And besides, when was the last time you and Daryl had a night for yourselves?"

When _was _the last time that her and Daryl had, had a night strictly for themselves; to where it was _just _them, whatever food they could sneak and then complete and utter silence that they would use to just relish being in each other's presence – for relishing how they had each other another day with the other? It was a silence to where they would learn never to take the other for granted and not once had they.

Had it been since the farm . . .?

Tessa shook her head, unable to remember. It had been way too damn long, _that_ was how long!

"I also got beans, batteries, cocktail wienies, _fruit _cocktail, various mustards – all the food we can possibly carry!" Glenn spoke up, not giving Tessa a chance to reply and while Maggie shot him a look, Tessa simply grinned at his excitement. She shook her head as she re-zipped the bag of baby formula and got her feet as she slung the bag over her shoulder. "All we gotta do is check the gun store down the street and then it's a straight shot back to the prison from here."

"I don't know about you guys, but I like the quiet here; that's the one thing I miss about the farm," Maggie spoke as she picked up the grocery basket and Glenn picked up the other bag. Him and Tessa made their way over to the truck as Maggie languidly followed them. "Back at the prison, no matter where you are, you can always here them outside the fence – snarling and moaning," She gave a shrug. "It's nice and peaceful out here, ya know?"

They stayed in a comfortable silence then as Glenn figured out where to place his bag and the one that Tessa's had handed him, but then suddenly, like a gunshot that entered her spine that immediately paralyzed her, Tessa heard a voice that immediately made her freeze in horror and fear and her eyes to grow wide in the same emotion. It was _his _voice.

"Now, where is it tha' ya'll good people are callin' home?"

Merle.

_Goddamnit -_ it was Merle!

Maggie immediately noticed Tessa new change of body language, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed in worry. She moved to ask her what was wrong, but that was before they heard the click of a gun's safety and she froze. Tessa's back remained facing him but she knew the gun was pointed at her back and she knew – eventually – that she would have to turn around and face the demon that had haunted her for thirteen long damn years – the man that had positively ruined her life and her relationship with his brother.

"Merle?" Glenn asked, his voice filled with awe, and Tessa, who had yet to turn around (even though she knew she was only delaying the inevitable) let out a laugh of disbelief as well as he moved to place his pistol on the ground.

"Hey, hey, hey – back the Hell up!" Maggie called out and Tessa knew it was because he had been taking a few steps towards them. Her heart pounded in her chest but she seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move, and only heard Merle's laughter echoing in her head as he told her to calm down.

"You made it . . ." Glenn spoke, his voice still filled with disbelief and Tessa could practically see the grin that split Merle's face.

"Can ya tell me if ma brother's alive?" He asked and it was then that Tessa let out a laugh and nodded.

"Yeah . . . yeah, he is, Merle . . ."

The look of stunned disbelief on Merle's face when Tessa finally gathered enough strength to turn around and face her rapist and practical brother-in-law, was almost comedic gold. The look on his face was something akin to him almost seeing the ghost of someone he had killed long ago and Hell, he _had _killed something in Tessa all those long thirteen-years-ago, when he had bent her over that stack of haybales and cruelly took advantage of her. She didn't know what exactly it was but then again, she didn't exactly feel like digging up old skeletons.

"T-Tess . . .?" His voice, when he spoke, was quiet and filled with disbelief. She nodded.

"Yup . . . and I'm in the flesh, too." Merle shook his head and let out a laugh then.

"Damn girl, where have ya been? I thought ya were dead!" She nodded.

"Yeah, I bet you did. Told Daryl the same damn thing, didn't you?" A stern look appeared on his face then as he shook his head.

"Now ya see here, girl! Ya walked out on him -"

"I walked out on him because of _you_!_"_

"Ya walked out on him in the middle of the night, without a Goddamn word -!"

"You fucking _raped _me, you motherfucker!"

"Ya walked out on him in the middle of the night, without a Goddamn word, _after _ya fucked _him_! He was understandably torn up – what was I supposed to tell him?" Tessa stood there for a moment, gazing at him with a look of blatant disbelief.

"You could have told him anything but _that_!" He laughed again as he shook his head.

"Look, Tess, how about we jus' let bygones be bygones, huh? Ya guys take me to Daryl and I promise ya guys that we'll call it even. Everythin' tha' happened up there in Atlanta, everythin' that happened back there on the farm – there'll be no hard feelin's -!"

Tessa shaking her head interrupted him. Tears filled her eyes the longer she stood there and gazed at him but she was amazed to find that they weren't tears of fear – they were tears of _anger_. "You _raped me_, Merle! You raped me in that barn while that good-for-nothing friend of yours just stood by and kept me from struggling - kept me from fighting you. Do you _think _Daryl wants to see you right now?" Merle's face darkened then.

"Now ya listen here, ya little squaw – if ya turned ma brother against me -!"

"Turned him _against _you?! Merle, I didn't have to – all I did was tell him the _truth_! He made up his own mind about you after that!"

They fell into a silence then – a heavy, uncomfortable silence and it took Tessa a moment to realize that Lori and Daryl had been the only two people in the group that she had told about Merle raping her. Maggie nor Glenn knew and she realized that she might have Hell to pay for not telling her friend's later but at that moment, there were more important things and by the way that Glenn was glaring at the contraption on Merle's missing hand, she guessed that, that was one of them to Glenn at least.

Merle laughed. "Ya like that? Well, I found myself a medical supply warehouse after I escaped from the roof, and rigged it up myself. Pretty cool, huh?" Glenn glanced at Tessa then, immediately taking notice of her tensed body language and by the way things were going between them, he could tell that they had best get Tessa out of there and _quick_.

"Look, we'll tell Daryl you're here and he'll come out to meet you -"

"_If _he wants to even see you, that is!" Tessa added, scarcely giving Glenn time to finish speaking and Merle shook his head as his eyes connected with hers again. Merle immediately shook his head and protested but Maggie and Glenn's firm line of sights on him, as well as their firm orderings for him to 'hold on' quickly diffused matters.

"Look, we finding each other out here is a miracle!" He immediately began and Tessa's jaw hardened. She hated how Merle always tried to talk his way out of shit – it had always been a sore spot with her, in fact. "Come on now! You can trust me! Tess, _come on_!" He turned his pleading eyes onto her and Tessa let out a snort of derision.

"I'm the wrong fucking person to be asking for her trust right now, Merle!" She snapped at him and his eyes flickered back to Glenn's.

"You trust _us_!" He returned, his voice brooking no argument. "You _stay here_, okay? And if Daryl decides he wants to see you, then _he _can come _here_."

They stood there again in an awkward silence before Merle gave a laugh and lunged for Glenn, withdrawing a pistol he had hidden in the back of his pants. All three of them dropped to the ground as a bullet pierced the back windshield of the truck, shattering it instantly, as Maggie and Glenn moved around the truck. They found Merle huddling to the ground with Tessa in his grip and a pistol pointed squarely in her head.

It had all happened so quickly . . . all Tessa comprehended was the glass shattering above her and then someone taking ahold of her and bringing her down to the ground.

Shit.

"Hey, hey, hold up there, Glenn, hold up!" He quickly spoke, and Tessa's teeth gritted as Glenn and Maggie stood there, gun's pointed at Merle but helpless to do anything while he had an itchy triggerfinger against Tessa's head. Her hands were white-knuckling the metal arm he had jammed underneath her chin and they could see her trembling against him. Their teeth gritted in anger as they stood there, rooted to the spot but unable to do anything to save their friend for the time being. Merle grinned upon seeing how quickly they got it.

"You let go of her . . . _you let go of her_!" Glenn snarled and Maggie nodded as their guns remained unwaveringly on him.

"Put the guns in the car – the both of ya. Put them _in _the _car_ . . . that's it!" He watched, his grip tightening slightly on Tessa as Maggie and Glenn quickly moved to place their pistols in the truck, Maggie's wide, terrified eyes meeting Tessa's. Tessa tried to send her a reassuring look but quite frankly, all of Tessa's fears were majorly beating down the doors and walls of her skull and she was about to lose it herself.

"There ya go. Now, we're gonna go for a little drive, okay?" Glenn shook his head.

"We're not going back to our camp." He immediately told him, his voice firm and Merle grinned.

"No, we're going somewhere else. Now get in the car – the both of ya! Your driving, Glenn – now get!"

"Don't hurt her!" Maggie quickly spoke up as Merle carefully got to his feet, dragging Tessa with him and forcing her to get to her feet as well. Glenn and Maggie reluctantly acquiesced to Merle's demands as Glenn rushed to get in the driver's side and Maggie into the passenger seat. Tessa opened the back door of the truck and Merle threw Tessa into the back as he quickly got in after her. He pulled her back against him before she could grab anything to hurt him with and grinned and laughed as she immediately let out a grunt and struggled against him.

"Glad to know tha' ya still the same firebrand ya once were, Tess! Means we're gonna have some fun when we get to ma place!" He spoke and as Tessa spat out a venomous 'fuck you', Glenn found himself desperately apologizing to Daryl over and over again in his head.

By God, what was going to happen to them?

And then, almost like another shotgun blast to the chest that immediately brought tears springing to her eyes and stilled all movement, Tessa wondered if that kiss she had given Daryl earlier _would _be their last kiss.


	47. Chapter 47

**Have I ever mentioned that I love writing Merle? Its probably because I have virtually free rein on being as lewd and/or whatever the Hell else with him that I wanna be and it can remain all in character. THAT being said - this chapter does contain gratuitous Merle-ish language, so please, you have been warned. It also has an extremely pissed off Daryl, which we haven't seen in a while and who is also very, very fun to write.**

**HaloHunter89: Oh God, your gonna love these next few chapters. That's all I'm going to say about that :)**

**Smittendebs and HermioneandMarcus: Glad you guys love the story so much - keep reading and hopefully you'll continue to love it :)**

**wickedclownsmile: Thank you SO much for spending that entire time catching up with the story! I keep wondering if people will actually read it because it is bordering on forty-something chapters but I still do get a steady trickle of people who like/follow it but no one ever really leaves a review - so thank you! And I'm glad you love my characters so much - I know I do :)**

**Anyway, onto the chapter!**

**PS - Apologies for the shortened chapter; they'll get longer next one hopefully lol.**

* * *

Tessa had never felt more terrified in her entire life than she did sitting there tied to a steel foldable chair. The rooms around her, which had been separated into little individual rooms like a bee's hive, looked like some bare basement torture room that could only have come from a horror fan's worst nightmare and the basement itself seemed to be in some fortified town that she didn't even know where the Hell it was! Glenn and Maggie sat tied in chairs of their own in separate little rooms but she could hear Merle talking to Glenn faraway. She couldn't hear anything from Maggie and tears filled her eyes and slid completely unbidden from her eyes. Either Maggie wasn't there with them or she had been shocked into silence by what had so quickly happened to them that day.

Oh God . . . oh dear God, what was going to happen to them?

Torture was probably the most likely thing. Merle was one mean son-of-a-bitch and as smart as a damn fox when it came to reading people, there was no doubt about that. She also had no doubt in her mind that he had each and every one of their numbers and knew exactly what was going to make each of them crow like roosters.

He _especially_ had hers.

Her chest started heaving then as even more tears spilled down her cheeks. What would he do to her? Holy _shit_, what would he do to her?

_Oh God Daryl . . . oh my God, baby, I wish you were here! I don't think I do this . . . I don't think I have the strength to stay quiet . . . not like Glenn . . .! _She thought desperately as sobs tore forth from her chest. Some of them tripped in her throat before finally tearing loose from her lips.

And then suddenly, she reared backwards in her chair and allowed her head to fall back against her shoulders as she let out the loudest scream she could in the form of Daryl's name. It was a scream laced with terrified sobs and tears and while she knew that he couldn't possibly hear her and come to her rescue, it still made her feel better, nonetheless. It gave her hope and strength, and hope and strength, at that moment, was what she so desperately needed.

Fuck praying - she'd just sit there and scream until her throat bled. At least then Merle wouldn't have the satisfaction of hearing whatever screams and sounds he would try and tear loose from her.

* * *

"Daryl, calm down!"

"Deddy, please, we'll go get her -!"

The group watched, frozen with horror, as Daryl angrily began pacing the common room like a caged, very, _very _enraged tiger. Every cord of lithe muscle in his body stood pronounced against his taut skin as he paced back and forth between them with a fluid, savage-like grace – the savage-like grace of a man about to go on one Hell of a bloody warpath. He felt the blood pounding in his ears and felt his vision narrow to an almost pitch blackness and he was pretty sure if he gritted his teeth any harder, he might pop a few out like some sick snuff film.

Michonne, however, the tall, willowy African American woman with the long black dreads and the gunshot thigh, watched him with an expressionless face. She had appeared at the fence with a grocery basket full of tins of powdered baby formula. After asking her what she was doing with it, she spilled everything – how she had witnessed three people hanging around outside a deserted supermarket and how they were happened upon by a man with a metal contraption in place of a hand – a man that sounded suspiciously like Merle, who then took the people hostage and forced them to drive off.

_That_ was when Daryl lost it.

"Where the _fuck_ are they?" He asked her, his voice dangerously quiet. "Because, _so help_ _me_, if ya don', then ya gonna have a _much _bigger problem than a Goddamn gunshot wound on ya hands!"

Rick's body tensed, as did everyone else in the common room. Right then, at that moment, Daryl didn't need his crossbow to be dangerous. He was so spitting fire angry that if he lunged at her, they doubted if any one of them would try and hold him back. At that moment, he was as opt to rear back and turn his hell-fire and brimstone anger down onto them as he would her. All they could do was hope and pray that this woman was smart enough to know when she was stupidly staring Death in the face.

_No one _fucked with Tessa.

The woman's teeth gritted as she eyed him defiantly. "Find her yourself."

Either the woman had a sick fascination with toying with her own life, or she _was _just plain stupid.

It was like someone had just dropped a nuclear bomb into the room. Everyone froze for a moment and it was in that moment that Ethan coolly and calmly stepped in-between his father and her. Daryl tensed, knowing good and well what his son was doing. Ethan knew Daryl wouldn't barge past him to get to her but that didn't mean that he couldn't simply just step out of the damn way and _then _run for her.

"Deddy, listen – we'll find momma, okay? We'll find her and we'll get her back – with or without this bitch telling us where they are." He assured him as he shot Michonne a dirty look over his shoulder and Daryl swallowed hard. He felt himself calm down slightly at his son's words but continued to shoot her death glares over his son's shoulder, nevertheless.

Rick moved to step in front of them then and his eyes were cold and unfathomable as he glared the woman down. "You came here for a reason . . . I think you have forgotten that." He spoke, his voice lowering substantially. It was now as dangerous as Daryl's was – not a good combination. The woman looked away and Rick knew he had her then.

"There's a town," She finally spoke. "It's called Woodbury and has about seventy-five survivors from what I could tell," Her eyes fell onto Daryl's then. "She and the others were probably taken there. God help them, too, for only he knows what they have gone through." Daryl's hands curled into fists at the words and he swore violently under his breath.

"There's a whole town?" Rick asked and Michonne nodded.

"It's run by this guy they call 'the Governor'. He's a pretty boy – charming, Jim Jones type."

"He got muscle?" Daryl asked and Michonne nodded again.

"Para-military wannabes. They have armed sentries on every wall surrounding the town."

"You know a way in?" Rick spoke this time and Michonne looked away.

"The place is secure from walkers, but yeah, we could slip our way through."

"Rick, we gotta go after 'em!"

Rick turned away from Michonne then and nodded in agreement as he crossed eyes with Daryl. "I know . . . I know, Daryl, but right now, what we need is a game plan -!"

Rick never finished what he was saying. For with the speed of lightening, Daryl had let out a snarl of anger as he grabbed up Rick by his shirt collar and hurled him into the nearby concrete wall. Rick temporarily saw stars as he was jolted by the impact but he quickly regained his senses as his eyes focused on Daryl's angry eyes boring holes into his. Ethan and Seth immediately started forward but Rick quickly backed them down as Daryl began speaking, his voice coming out slightly slurred as the words fought their way through his tightly clenched teeth. Daryl was so angry at that moment, that taking ahold of him and trying to pull him off, was probably not the best solution. Right then, the only thing Rick could think of to avoid getting his neck snapped, was to allow the enraged man to say his piece.

"Look, ya fuckin' _sonofabitch_! Ma son and daughter will _die _without their mother!" He knew he was exaggerating – that they had more than enough formula to feed all three of the babies for the time being, but at that moment, his feelings towards the matter were just that damn primal. The twins were still considered newborns – they still didn't have their teeth and they couldn't even crawl yet. The mother to the twins – the mother to his _babies _– the woman who would fight tooth and nail to protect them if it ever came to that and the woman who had risked her life and went through excruciating pain and untold danger to _give_ them life – could be undergoing horrors unimaginable to them at that moment. Hell, she could even be _dying_!

At that moment, Daryl didn't _want _to calm down – he didn't _want _a game plan!

"Daryl . . . Daryl, please, calm down!"

Miraculously, it was Wren's small, scared voice coming from the gateway to the rest of the cellblock, that caused the much older man to immediately calm down enough to find the sense to release Rick. Everyone turned a startled glance onto the small young girl standing there and she swallowed hard as she moved further into the room. Her eyes pinned themselves to Daryl's then and she shook her head as she moved to stand in-between her brother and Ethan. "We don't need this right now! Rick is right, you need to calm down and think of a way to get back Tess that doesn't include any of you guys dying!" Her eyes filled with tears then. "Haven't we lost enough? Hasn't enough bad shit happened lately to even _think_ about adding more to it?"

They stayed in silence then as Michonne let out a dry laugh. "You guys would do good to listen to the little girl. She speaks more wisdom than your hot-head over there wants to believe!"

Daryl tensed again at her words but Wren's small hand on his forearm made him calm down again and he nodded as he immediately took her into a one-armed hug. Rick heaved a sigh then as he turned to face Michonne again, grateful that Wren had been there to diffuse the tricky situation.

"This is Daryl, the husband of the woman taken," He spoke, pointing to Daryl standing behind him and she nodded.

"Yeah . . . I figured that."

"That boy standing right there next to him – he is their son. They have two sleeping newborns up in the guard office there too – so don't for a moment think he is that angry just for himself! That man there," He pointed to Hershel then. "That's the father of the other woman taken. He'll patch you up the best he can." He told her before he shared a pointed look at Daryl then before marching from the room. Daryl wasted no time in following him, handing Wren over to Beth and her brother as he did so.

Daryl shook his head as they entered the cellblock. "Look, I'm sorry Rick for losin' ma cool back there, but ya gotta understand tha' we gotta find her! God only know what they're doin' to her as we speak . . .!" Rick nodded in agreement as he glanced behind him.

"We will. Don't worry, Daryl, we will. I don't want to leave Tessa there any longer than we have to, too."

* * *

Tessa didn't think her heart could beat any damn faster than it did when Merle finally entered the room she was being held in. The leer that immediately spread across his face at the sight of her too, didn't help matters much either.

"I heard ya little temper tantrum all the way over from where I was with Glenn. Are ya done yet, 'cause ya scarin' the children and the men whose balls haven' dropped yet." Tessa replied with a glare of death and he chuckled as he moved to sit on the edge of the table in front of her. "I'll take tha' lack of a witty retort as evidence tha' ya screamed yaself raw. Good; now maybe I'll be able to speak in peace then!"

"I'm not telling you where the camp is, Merle." She immediately spoke, her voice the same as it ever was, and Merle laughed and shook his head.

"No, no, I already got tha' info. Funny . . . once we brought in the other woman half-naked and made her watch as we put a gun to her boyfriend's head, she ended up squealin' everythin' so nicely!"

"You fucker – if you touched her -!"

"Who - _me_?" Merle actually looked insulted then that she had dared to insinuate such a thing. "Oh nah, nah, buttercup, I never laid a hand on her or, err . . . _blade_ . . ." He glanced at the metal contraption strapped to his arm in distaste for a minute before giving a shrug and returning his attention onto her. "Nah, I didn' touch a pretty little brown hair on her pretty little head! Now, the Governor on the other hand . . . he was quite taken with her! But me, nah . . ." He chuckled then as he leaned in closer to her. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek and recoiled as far back from him as she could possibly get. "I got ma girl right here . . . ma baby brother's _beautiful_ little Cherokee squaw that I _still _can' understand how he managed to rope!"

Tessa felt her skin crawl underneath his breath and gritted her teeth to force back the tears that rose completely unbidden in her eyes again. Like last time, she would be damned if she would show him any of her tears. She hadn't before and she certainly wouldn't then.

"So, tell me somethin' Tess . . ." Merle began as he heaved a sigh and he withdrew from her and made himself more comfortable on the rough wooden table that sat before her. He didn't even have to continue – Tessa already knew that she wouldn't like what he was going to say. "Answer a question for me tha' I've been havin' floatin' 'round in ma head for the longest damn time now. Can ya do tha' for me?" When she didn't reply, he merely continued on, a small smile appearing on his face as he did so. "When ya scared and ya holdin' ma baby brother close to ya . . . when ya bodies are entwined and he's so deep inside ya that all ya wanna do is pull him as close to ya as ya can, do ya sometimes think of me?"

"_Fuck you_, Merle!"

The words came so fluidly and effortlessly from her lips that for a moment, she thought someone else had said them. However, when he merely chuckled and continued on, seemingly taking delight in watching her squirm, she knew they had come from her. "When his lips are all over ya . . . here and here and oh, let's not forget here! . . . They feel so good, don' they Tess? When they move down _here_ . . ." The dangerously sharp blade of his missing hand trailed slowly down her black tank-top, puckering the fabric as it drew in-between the valley of her breasts to her stomach, Tessa closed her eyes and shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes again. "Do ya sometimes think of me when he goes down on ya, sweet-pea? When his tongue's in ya cunt and ya can' help but -"

"I swear to God, Merle, if you don't _shut up -_!"

Merle laughed as a tear streamed down Tessa's cheek then, causing more and more to come flooding down the sore flesh. Her heart broke when she realized that she was showing him the one thing he had never before seen - something that only Daryl had ever really seen - and she found herself yearning even more for the mans he loved. She yearned so much for the possibility that she would wake up at any minute to being cradled in Daryl's arms in their bunk in the guard office with their twins sleeping soundly in their makeshift cradle beside them, and that this whole thing would be just some horrible damn dream. However, she knew she wouldn't be that lucky.

"What are ya gonna do if I don', sweet-pea?" He cooed as he stood up and leaned over her in the chair, his lips meeting her ear seconds later. She cringed and again tried to recoil as far back from him as she could get but it seemed futile. There was only a finite amount space she could move and unfortunately, she had already used that space up. "Hell, if ya think 'bout it, it's like that day in the barn, ain' it? Ya trapped, with nowhere to go . . . no one to scream for – no one who will come flyin' to ya rescue like some Knight in Shinin' fuckin' Armor . . ." He grinned then. "Will ya come for me, Tess? Will ya come on ma cock like ya did the last time? I swear I won' tell Darlina, even though I know ya murmured his name when ya -!"

Merle's words were immediately cut off and he let out a roar of pain instead as Tessa took a leaf out of a walker book and took a nice big bite on the side of his neck. Blood immediately spilled from the minor wound in his neck as he lunged off of her and Tessa immediately started struggling, trying vainly to free herself of her bonds, however, it seemed futile. They had been tied too securely.

Then, Merle was back, rage thumping through every part of his body as he sunk his hand deep into her ebony hair and held her still as he sliced off her bonds. She let out a pained shriek as he threw her forward by her hair and slammed her belly first onto the table. His hard body folded over hers and she could again feel his hot breath on her neck.

"Does this position seem familiar to ya, Tess?" He asked, his voice angry and gruff as he spoke and as he reached his hands around to undo the button and fly of her jeans. Tessa's heart immediately began pounding again as she frantically turned to pin his eyes with hers.

"Wait, wait, wait, Merle – stop! You can't! I just – I just gave birth a few weeks ago! Y-y-you can't!"

Merle immediately came to a stop as he held her gaze. "Are ya shittin' me, girl?" He asked and she immediately shook her head.

"No, no – I had twins! Danny and Aayla – they were born just a few weeks ago. I . . ." She gave him a pleading look. "Please Merle, me and Daryl, we . . . we haven't even had sex yet, we . . . we were waiting until the soreness went away! If you -!"

She didn't have time to finish. For not that soon after she began speaking, a loud 'BOOM' split through the air and everything around them shook like an earthquake. Tessa's heart leapt up into her throat as Merle began screaming for someone to come back him up – to tell him what was going on.

Tessa's heart leapt up into her throat because she knew, at that moment, that Daryl was coming for her.


	48. Chapter 48

**HermioneandMarcus and smittendebs: Thank you guys! Keep reading! :)**

**HaloHunter89: I love writing Wren. I really do. And I think Daryl kinda views her as Aayla when their daughter grows up to be her age. Although something tells me that Aayla will be a little bit more weapon-savvy than Wren is ha ha. And your right - only Daryl and Lori were the only two people that Tessa had ever told about the barn and Merle until then. Not even Ethan knows and I'm still toying around with keeping him in the dark. But something tells me if he did, Ethan wouldn't exactly be sitting there not doing anything about it - he IS Daryl's son, after all!**

**Maddy-MarieXO: Just keep reading. We'll get to that part eventually :)**

**wickedclownsmile: Yup, that was a very fun part to write :)**

* * *

"They have patrols," Michonne spoke as Rick pulled the car over on the side of the road and everyone filed out – everybody encompassing Daryl, Rick and Oscar. Axel stayed behind to continue working on the generators and to back up Carl, Ethan and Seth is anything happened while they were gone. "We're better off on foot from here on out."

"It better not be far; night's gonna be here soon." Rick replied as he headed around the back to get his weapons along with the others. Michonne nodded as she shouldered her samurai sword.

"It's a mile – maybe two. We'll be there before the sun falls but we probably won't get out before then." They ignored the walker shambling her way towards them and entered the woods, following closely on Michonne's tail. They didn't have time to fight every walker from Hell to Houston - they needed to get into Woodbury and get out as fast as they could and without being seen if that was entirely possible.

Hell, Daryl and his still bubbling anger made sure of all of that.

Rick could still feel the anger rolling off of Daryl in waves – he and everyone else there had felt it all on the car ride there, especially considering that he had stayed quiet the entire time and did nothing but stare out the window the entire car ride. He had drastically calmed down before the car ride, though, and for that, they were all grateful. No one wanted to be in the same car with Daryl when he was angry - they were suicidal. And Wren had certainly helped when she walked in and calmed him down with her gentle, quiet words and her small hand on his forearm, but Rick knew it was still there, just biding its time before it could come out fully unleashed again.

For the relative safety of everyone in Woodbury - not just the guards - Rick found himself hoping that it would be just a simple "Get-in-and-get-out" mission. However, when had anything gone simply for them? The only difference this time was that Daryl was teetering on the edge of mental insanity induced by scalding hot anger.

"I know what you and Tessa did for me while I was . . . _working_ things out in the other cellblock – and for my baby, too," He finally spoke and Daryl glanced at him as they continued walking down the forest path before returning his eyes to the treeline, his eyes constantly searching for the herd of walkers lumbering their way. "I just wanted to thank you." Daryl glanced at him again before he nodded.

"It's what we do, ain' it - we look out for each other? Hell, I'm pretty damn sure ya would do tha same thing if it was me, Tess and the twins in ya place." He replied and Rick nodded that he would have. They continued onwards in silence then for a while before everyone froze. A pretty sizable group of walkers were lumbering towards - more than they had ever seen in a small group before. They fought the walkers that quickened their speed towards them, backpedaling as fast as they could backwards as they did so, but froze again when they found another one quickly coming up on their asses. It was about as big as the group they were currently dealing with and Daryl shook his head as he plunged his knife through a walker's head that had been lumbering as fast as it could towards him.

"Rick, There's too many of 'em! We can't take 'em all!" Daryl told him and Rick nodded in agreement.

"This way!"

Rick turned on his heels then and moved off the beaten path into the woods. The rest of them turned and followed closely behind him, Michonne bringing up the rear as he led them ever deeper into the woods, the snarling walkers constantly keeping them going.

"Look - in there!"

They picked up their pace when they saw the red, abandoned-looking cabin seconds later, taking the steps two at a time as they each hurriedly filed through he front door. Michonne slammed shut the door when she finally made it in after the rest of them and when she did so, they found themselves in near total silence. It reeked to high heaven in the modest, stuffy space and Daryl announced as such as he covered his nose with the back of his hand. Tracing the smell, it eventually brought them to a small dead dog – a dead dog that looked to have been dead for months.

"Looks like lassie came home after all." Daryl muttered, however, everyone ignored him as they turned onto Rick.

"What the Hell are we going to do now?" Oscar asked, the four of them almost jumping out of their skins when the walkers they had been running from began banging up against the closed door of the cabin, trying their damndest to get in. Brittle nails scratched against the dusty, dirty windows and hands grasped and pulled uselessly at the wooden planks nailed hastily to the wood walls covering the windows. Michonne shook her head.

"Those won't hold them for long." She muttered and Oscar nodded in agreement as Daryl took a few steps towards Rick.

"Shit, Rick, what do we do?" He asked and Rick swallowed heavily before glancing at him.

"I . . . I'm workin' on it."

"Well you better work fast or else the walkers are gonna find themselves a nicely little prepackaged meal!" Michonne hissed as she glanced at the moving shadows pounding against the door and windows behind her. Rick ignored her, however, as he moved towards the double bed situated in the back of the cabin. A shape could clearly be seen underneath he flowery blue cover and it was that, that had caught his attention. After glancing at Daryl, who nodded and followed closely on his heels, knife in hand, Rick quickly yanked back the cover, only for them to find themselves face-to-face with one alarmed looking hunter.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We mean you no harm!"

"Get the fuck outta my house!"

"We will but we can't right now -!"

"Shut him the fuck up!"

Michonne was the last to speak as she threw another frantic look over her shoulder at the door. At the sound of Rick and the hunter's verbal spat, the walkers had begun pounding and yanking at the boards and the door with more vim and vigor - movements that did not help settle their mind at all. Rick simply nodded as his attention remained on the clearly not all-together-there man standing beside him as he shouted out that he would call the cops, something that Rick immediately served back with a quick, "I am a cop!"

The man's gaze turned hesitant for a moment as Rick calmly implored him to lower the gun he was holding and to not do anything stupid. The hunter had begun by doing what he asked but surprised them all when he suddenly cocked the shotgun in his hands and pointed it straight back into Rick's face again. "Show me your badge!" He ordered and as Rick nodded, Daryl couldn't help but wonder if Rick still had it.

"All right, all right; it's in my pocket, though, okay? I'm going to reach for it in my pocket, nice and slow . . ." He moved to pacify the crazy man by reaching towards his back pocket. The man kept a careful eye on him the entire time.

"Oh _shit_!"

Daryl had just enough time to twirl out of the way as Rick suddenly made a grab for the man, completely abandoning all movement towards his badge in his back pocket. He knocked the gun from the man's hands and the shotgun went off with a loud bang into the nearby wall as he did so - the wall that had been directing behind Daryl and who would have littered him with scattershot if he hadn't had the quick reflexes needed to twirl himself out of the way as fast as he could like he had done.

Rick kept a tight grip on the now struggling, cursing and spitting man but no one saw what was coming next. Eventually the man managed to break free of Rick's grasp and ran full tilt for the door, his chest heaving. "Don't let him reach the door!"

"Fuckin' _catch him_!"

For a minute, it seemed like the man would reach the door and throw it open, immediately ushering in their death, but was suddenly brought to a stop by Michonne's sword sliding and silently cleanly through his torso – right through the heart. When she withdrew it with a fleshy 'shing' and sheathed it seconds later, Daryl found himself hardly spared her a glance as he moved to the door. Rick and Oscar, however, simply stood there, gaping at her for a moment. They didn't know what to say and thankfully, didn't have to say anything upon hearing Daryl heaving a breath and turning back to them.

"You guys remember the Alamo, right?" He asked and Rick nodded as he swallowed hard, immediately getting the same idea in his head that Daryl had as soon as their eyes jointly and briefly fell onto the corpse of the now dead man before meeting again.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I do . . ." He murmured as he quickly moved to help Daryl pick up the body. Rick supported it for a moment, ignoring Oscar's sound of protest, before Daryl quickly opened the door and helped him shove it through before quickly moving Rick out of the way and slamming it closed. Still ignoring the look of disbelief on Oscar's face, they readily used the now dead hermit/hunter as walker bait so that they could silently slip out the back door and into the woods, where Michonne quickly found the path they needed to get to Woodbury.

Who said anything about not using your imagination?

* * *

"We gotta find Tess! She could be anywhere down here!"

"Don't worry, Daryl, we will!"

Promises, promises - that was all he had been dealt since Michonne first came back with news that Tessa, Glenn and Maggie had been taken to Woodbury as hostages and so far, he wasn't really seeing results and it was kinda pissing him off. Or well . . . pissing him even more than he already was. He was pissed off at the three of them for getting themselves taken in the first place – he was pissed off at Michonne for not getting them where they needed to go quicker, he was pissed off at the two walker groups that had ambushed them and made them lose time by seeking temporary refuge in the crazy fucker's cabin.

But most of all, he was pissed_ at _Woodbury for _being_ Woodbury!

Damn Stepford illusion . . .

They moved quickly and silently down the basement hallways made of corrugated metals and clapboard, dodging the occasional guard as they did so in their quest to find Maggie, Glenn and most of all – Tessa. When they had first entered, they had encountered only one man who they had dealt with quickly by tying him up and stuffing a handkerchief in his mouth they had found in one of his pockets before Daryl's crossbow-butted him against the back of his head. After that, it had been smooth sailing to the basement catacombs that Michonne had led them to. Now, they were hearing indistinct voices in the distance. They couldn't place them, however, even when they could hear the occasional sob that was loud enough to reach their ears.

Soon, steps could be heard against the cement floor that moved quickly towards their position ducked behind a corrugated wall that opened out into a bigger room. They heard sobbing and a man's voice telling his companion to be strong and that everything would be alright and it was then that Daryl eyes finally connected fully with Rick's. "Shit – that's Glenn and Maggie! They must be movin' 'em!" He hissed and Rick cursed underneath his breath before the both of them quickly moved to search inside the bag they had brought with them and which was now lying on the floor between them for two of the flashbangs that Daryl had brought because, after all, "Ya never know what ya gonna need."

Rick uttered a relieved, "Thank God!" when they found them before the both of them got to their feet and quickly threw the flashbangs into the room, right in front of the people leading the covered Glenn and Maggie. Angry, shouted curses could immediately be heard as everyone in the path of the flashbang was suddenly blinded by a loud flash and smoke that filled the room. Rick and Oscar then darted quickly forward and after hooking their hands around their elbows, led them away from the smoke, Daryl giving them the occasional fire for cover that was occasionally answered back through the smoke still issuing forth from the bomb.

They quickly backtracked their way through the hallways before quickly pushing the two of them inside a nearby building. Michonne closed the door behind them and no one noticed that the woman was no longer with them as they immediately became preoccupied with checking their surroundings for Woodbury residents, as well as trying to find an alternate way out. "Dammit - there ain' no way out back here, Rick!" Daryl called as he moved back into the main room where the rest of them were congregating around Maggie and Glenn, and the battered looking woman immediately looked up at his voice.

"Daryl, Tessa was down in the basement with us when we arrived. She was moved, though, for some reason and we lost her. I'm sorry." She told him and Daryl's eyes shot down onto hers as he moved to crouch down in front of her, where he took a firm hold of her arm.

"She was moved - where to?" He asked, his voice coming out as quick as hers had been, but Maggie could only give him a weak, apologetic look as she shook her head and shrugged.

"I don't know - we both don't! All I know is that we passed each other in the hallway when I was being transported from the room they were holding me in, to Glenn's. They could be hiding her anywhere here!" She shook her head again as she shifted slightly to face him better. "What I do know, is that she's not hurt. They wanted to keep her as safe as could be - I heard that when were passing each other."

Daryl let out a violent curse then as he got to his feet. His ran his fingers through his hair in irritation and could almost not keep his anger from trying to claw its way to the surface. He felt his anger and his frustration come back and for a moment, he found himself briefly entertaining the idea that he would never see Tessa again. Briefly, he wondered if Ethan would never see his mother again and if the twins would grow up not knowing her the same way that Ethan had grown up not knowing him. He wondered how he would ever find the strength and the resolve to raise the twins without her - the babies that they had wanted so much together and as the thoughts entered his mind, he couldn't help but feel tears prickle up in his eyes. He stood there for a moment as he slowly gathered the strength to keep going, before forcibly shoving them back down. He heard Glenn weakly called for him and as he turned back to face the man, he at least felt good that she was safe and relatively unharmed.

Whatever that meant.

"Daryl, this was Merle! Merle did this!" He told him as Maggie helped him into a shirt she had found sitting on a desk feet away from them, and the look of stunned shock on Daryl's face was almost comical.

"What?" Glenn nodded.

"Merle was the one who kidnapped us – Merle was the one who first ordered for Tessa to be moved. He was rather adamant about her staying safe, too. Wherever Merle is, Tessa probably is too, I guarantee it!"

Daryl's teeth gritted as he immediately felt his anger instantly rise up within him tenfold what it had been - letting out a roar of fury as it did so. His blood felt hot - like the anger was lava spilling into his bloodstream and for a moment, he had to fight to keep his anger under control - something he hadn't had to do in such an extent in _years_ - _decades_, even. If Merle was behind this, then no wonder Tessa was being treated like a Queen! He would only use her as leverage when they would finally meet again face-to-face and he found that he absolutely detested the idea of his brother using her like a pawn because he knew she was the only thing that her could use against his brother.

Well . . . something he could readily get his hands on, at any rate. He had three other things that could very well be used against him too - four, if you counted Wren - but thankfully they were all back at the prison, tucked away safe and sound from this Hell that was Woodbury.

And then he remembered what Tessa had told him months ago – what Merle had done to her in the barn – how _he _had been the real reason why she had left him the first time and for a moment, he almost _couldn't _keep the lid on his anger. _Merle _had been the reason he hadn't known about Ethan, why some dumbass Yankee had gotten to raise his son in his place. And now Merle had her again . . . _whatever _that meant!

"You . . . you _saw_ him?" He asked, his voice lowering to a dangerous level and Glenn nodded.

"I saw him face to face multiple times. Hell, he threw a walker at me and used Tessa to get us in the damn car! I'm pretty sure he also interrogated her personally too - the same as he had me."

Daryl's teeth gritted a little bit more then, so hard it almost hurt, but he hardly noticed the pain. He vowed, right then and there, that if Merle had done _anything_ to Tessa . . . if had laid _one finger_ on her . . .!

"Are ya tellin' me tha' my brother's the Governor?" He asked and Maggie shook her head.

"No, someone else is. Your brother is like his lieutenant or something," Her eye brightened when she found a better word. "His second - like you are to Rick."

"Does he know I'm with ya guys?" Glenn nodded.

"Once he saw Tessa, it wasn't that long afterwards that he realized you were," He shook his head then as his apologetic eyes fell onto Rick. "Rick, I'm sorry, but they know about the prison – we couldn't hold out!" Rick shot them both a reassuring look then as a trill of alarm raced up Daryl's spine. They knew about the prison? Would they be sending people there now as they sat there gabbing or was them being here giving them the excuse they needed to send no one yet.

Shit, they _really _needed to find Tessa and then get the Hell out of Dodge!

"Don't! You guys have absolutely no need to apologize!"

Daryl, who had been entrenched deep into his thoughts, so far in fact, that he hardly registered when Maggie had asked where the missing Michonne was, that he practically jumped out of his skin when Rick told them they needed to move and then shoved him towards the exit. Daryl gave him a slightly weak look that didn't correspond at all with the rage that thumped through his veins like a marching army. "No, Rick, w-we have to find Tess! We can't leave her here!" He told him, a note of slight fear inching its way into his voice that was still nonetheless edged with anger. "I know she could be anywhere, but if we go back and we don' have her, then what the Hell do I tell Ethan and Wren? And if Merle's here too, then I gotta see him as well!"

_And kill him in the most excruciating way possible . . ._

"Not _now_, Daryl!" Rick told him firmly and look of fear was immediately wiped from Daryl's face, only to be replaced with a look of such profound anger that Rick felt himself swallow hard at the sight.

"How can ya say tha' 'bout _Tess_, Rick?" He asked him him in angered incredulity, and Rick shook his head, quickly trying to backpedal.

"Look, this place is huge and Maggie is right – they could be holding her _anywhere_! We need to get the two of them out of here and _then _we can focus on finding Tess, okay?" He shook his head as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll get her back to you and your family, okay, brother? I promise you that! But right now, I _need you_, Daryl!"

Daryl hated it. He hated _himself_ for it - especially when the anger inside him protested so furiously against it, but after swallowing hard and eventually nodding, he murmured a simple:

"Yeah . . ."

* * *

"How many of them are there, do ya know?"

"I didn't see - the smoke got in the way!"

"It doesn' matter – there's gonna be more of 'em in a minute!" Daryl spoke when they finally reached cover, the sounds of gunshots constantly being heard through the smoke of the bombs and flashbangs that they had thrown for temporary cover until they could reach more stable cover. The shots were potshots - shots fired by people who didn't know where in the Hell they were, hoping that they would hit something but the smoke was fading fast and when it did, their cover would be blown all to Hell. "Ya guys need to move now - while we still have the smoke to distract 'em!"

"Are there any grenades left?" Rick asked and Daryl nodded.

"Yup."

"Then get 'em ready – we gotta gun it to the wall over there as fast as we can!" Rick told him and they nodded in understanding as each of them quickly readied themselves. Daryl handed Glenn his gun to hold for a minute as he glanced at them.

"Ya guys go on ahead, I'm gonna offer some cover fire." He spoke and Rick immediately gave him a pointed look, although Maggie was the one who spoke first.

"No, we gotta stay together!"

Daryl shook his head as he glanced up at her. "No, it's too hairy. I'll be right behind ya, though, I promise!" She held his gaze for a moment before quickly nodding. He took back his gun then and caught and held on to Rick's gaze in the process.

"Are ya _sure_ ya wanna do this?" Rick asked him, his voice coming out slow and even, and Daryl nodded as he bit down on his lower lip. Everyone else's eyes fell onto him and a indistinguishable look passed across Maggie's face then.

"Ya know tha' I can' leave without her, Rick! I promised her tha' I would find her if somethin' like this ever happened and I aim to keep my word. I gotta find her – I ain' leavin' and I ain' dyin' until I do, now _tha' _I can promise you!" The group had gone silent at his words and slowly, Rick nodded. He heaved a sigh as he clasped a hand on Daryl's shoulder.

"I'll be back, I promise! I'll come back for the both you two, so don't worry! You'll have your back-up!" Daryl smiled a small smile.

"I know ya will. But please, don' take ya time!"

As soon as those words had left his mouth, Daryl stood, lobbed the smoke bomb in the general direction the opposing firepower was coming from, and then darted for cover not that far away as the rest of them ran full tilt for the nearby wall. They could hear the popping of Daryl's gun as he gave them cover fire and after a minute, Maggie's voice split through the air:

"_Daryl_!?"

"Go on!"

They were on top of the bus by then, about to hop down on the other side when she shouted his name. He barely heard them over the gunfire still being lobbed at them from across the street but he knew enough to know that the shout had mainly been Maggie wanting to know that he was still breathing and that the dark shape lying completely motionless on the ground in front of the bus was Oscar.

He let out a curse under his breath as he sunk back against the brick wall he was taking cover against in order to reload his gun. He closed his eyes for a minute and had to summon a picture of Tessa, broad grin and sparkling brown eyes – looking as beautiful as he had ever seen her – in his head in order to get the strength he needed to go back over that wall and continued shooting.

However, it never came. As soon as he popped back over the wall, he saw the butt of a rifle speeding at his head faster than a bullet from a gun.

And then everything went black.


	49. Chapter 49, part I

**Holy shit, I am going to get SOOO much hate mail for these next two chapters. I know I am and I know you guys probably already knows what's gonna happen but I wanted to assure you guys that I PROMISE things are not what it seems! The only reason I'm doing this (because, believe me, it kills me to write this, probably more than it kills you guys to read it) is to open up several knew paths that I NEED to open up. So its not a path of leisure, its a path of necessity. That being said, I hope you guys brought your tissues, cause your gonna need them and I ran all out of mine writing the ending of the next chapter :(  
**

**allons-ymeg: So sorry I couldn't get to your review last chapter - right when I got it, I had already uploaded the chapter! Anyway, here's that chapter you wanted so much ;)  
**

**HaloHunter89: Yeah, Ethan's probably gonna ask Daryl, just letting you know now. Please don't kill for this chapter, cause I know you've been NOT wanting this to happen :(**

**wickedclownsmile: I was actually going to do a part based on the prison and possibly Ethan or Wren's POV but I decided against it because I felt it wouldn't fit the tone of these last few chapters - the anxiety and everything else that wrought them. Might do a chapter at the end called "Lost Chapters" and that might be one of them but I'm not sure yet lol.**

**PS: This chapter is also split into two parts, mainly because if they were one big chapter, they'd be over eight thousand words. So please, when you guys review, review after the ending of the _next _chapter. Just make things easier for me, kay? :)**

* * *

Merle had always said that him and Daryl were exactly the same – twins born almost a decade apart but Daryl had always known better than that. He had known better than that when Merle would be gone for years at a time doing various stints in Juvie before moving on to the cold metal bars of actual prisons. He had known better when his older brother would be gone and leave him alone with his old man before coming back like everything was completely fine. He had known better than that when they would have their worst fights and Merle would almost always end up screaming at him that he had taught him everything that he had ever learned growing up – that he had protected him from the worst of what their mother and old man could ever have dished out to him.

When really . . . Daryl didn't think that no one in the world could ever convince him that his brother had it harder than him growing up. Yeah sure, Will Dixon had probably delivered his fair share of punches and slaps and liquor and beer bottles to his oldest son, but Daryl . . . Daryl had _always_ gotten it worse and even though Daryl was Will Dixon's blatant favorite. Every time the squad cars pulled up in the Dixon dirt driveway with news that Merle had gotten caught robbing one of the local stores, or beating up the latest black kid or the latest Jew for being black or being a Jew, Daryl would always get a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stood there on the front porch beside his old man. His eyes purposefully would avoid the tensing of his father's arms and the balling of his hands into fists at his side – the tightening of his stubbled jaw. They would instead land on the shiny gold of the officer's badge pinned on the left side of his shirt and he often remembered himself going numb at that moment. He could remember his mother, dark brown hair in a poufy mess around her head and wearing that damned tattered terrycloth robe that their old man hated and abhorred to no end, standing in the front doorway of the house behind them. That omnipresent cigarette would be dangling in-between the first two fingers of her right hand or stuck in the corner of her mouth. A look of expressionless would be on her face as she would listen to the officer describe the latest trouble that their oldest son had gotten himself into that time. She would probably already be drunk by then . . . she got started early, his mother . . .

_"He's gonna go back to juvie for this, Will, ya know that, right? It's gonna be a longer stay this time, too. They're startin' to get tired of seein' him in there."_

_"What do ya suggest we do, Roy? We can' afford no lawyer. And besides . . . I got Daryl here to help 'round the place - I don' need tha' good-for-nothing son of mine. Let him rot in there for all I care!"_

The officers would leave then, shaking their heads as if they _knew_ the reason that Merle Dixon caused as much trouble as he did for the good police officers of Shooter's Mill, was because he was raised by such lowborn scum like Will and Marla Dixon. They would always end up gazing at Daryl with soft, sympathetic glances as they left and Daryl would always return them with hate – something that would immediately have them recoiling in slight shock. He hated their pity . . . they didn't have to deal with what he had to deal with. They didn't care to know that a little boy had to wake up and face everyday as a fight for survival all depending on his father's mood starting out in the morning.

They didn't have to live everyday knowing that nobody loved them.

Will Dixon had always been a smart man. He would always wait until the officers had gotten back in their cars, ramble up the dirt driveway and then disappear around the wooded bend, before Daryl's cheek would feel the bruising bite that his father's curled fist could pack. The blow would almost always end up throwing him off of the porch and he would always land sprawled in the same dirt drive that the officers had been standing in moments earlier, spitting the blood and dirt from his mouth when he recovered himself. Merle might claim that his childhood was rougher – that their old man had calmed down in his old age and after the death of their mother, but Merle didn't have to live with being beaten into an inch of his own life when their father would hear that he would have to live through yet another two or three months of having to listen to the humiliating rumors and gossip of the old town biddies on how Will Dixon's son was back in juvie _again_.

He remembered that he would open his eyes, dazed from the impact of hitting the dirt, and see his father above him, fist flying at his face again and again and the one thing that he always remembered with a shocking clarity – with perfect eidetic fucking memory – was the harsh red flame of his mother's cigarette as she would continue to stand there in the doorway for a moment, watching as her husband pounded her youngest son's face in.

Daryl: the youngest, the better looking, the sweetest (something she would always tell him whenever she was sober enough to hug him like a mother should hug her child, let alone remember who the Hell he was) . . .

Daryl: her husband's favorite because _Daryl_ was the one Will Dixon knew with one hundred percent fucking certainty that he was his.

Marla would never say anything - she wouldn't even react . . . and eventually, she would just turn around and go back inside the house, where she would hunt for that bottle of wine that she had left lying around somewhere the previous night before collapsing asleep on her bed in a drunken stupor until he could scrounge up something that even remotely resembled a dinner of some sort.

Daryl thought he hated his mother more than he hated the cops. He hated her indecisiveness – her hypocrisy in the way she treated him when she was drunk and then when she was sober (which was rare in and of itself) – at least his father stayed pretty much the same the vast majority of the time. And when he was young and before he completely knew what sex and love and stuff like that was, he hated his father for seeking women elsewhere – outside his mother and father's marriage and that eventually, those other women would cause fights between them - fights that would drastically make things worse for Daryl until things calmed down.

It was thanks to his mother that he vowed ever since he was a kid, that when he finally wanted to settle down and start a family of his own, that he would find a woman the exact opposite of the mother he had: strong, maternal, beautiful, loving . . . _sober_.

And it wasn't until he met Tessa in highschool and fell so unbelievably in love with her, that he realized that women like that – women like Tessa - even existed. And he'd be damned if he lost her again.

And likewise, you could not _convince _Daryl that someone other than Tessa or that something had happened aside from her walking into his life that one bleary highschool day, had been the one thing that ended up saving him. Without her stepping into his life and making every bad thing go away whenever she was around him, he would either be in and out of prisons like Merle was, or worse.

He owed everything to her. She had been the one person who had kept him from drowning – the one who had helped him get through every damn Hell that his old man had put him through (and some that had been dealt him by his mother). It was her that made him realize that Merle and him were absolutely nothing alike.

Daryl had buried an ax in-between his old man's eyes for her. For some reason, he didn't think that Merle could stake a claim to the same.

And now, here they found themselves, in Woodbury, him and Merle standing in a dirt arena sitting right smack dab in what looked like an empty warehouse, surrounded by the people of Woodbury. Tessa was chained in the middle and snarling walkers were being led in one-by-one. It seemed like a nightmare come true.

And not-to-mention the Tessa that stood before them was a battered, very exhausted Tessa with rumpled clothes.

Nothing _better _have happened to her.

"Tessa . . . babydoll . . .?"

"I'm alright – I'm _alright_!" She called to him once his hesitant words reached her ears, but not before making a painful swallow. She flinched at the slight pain, a flinch that Daryl immediately saw and which had his teeth gritting. She shook her head. "Daryl, I'm scared. What if they release the walkers?" Daryl glared at Merle for a minute, a glance that his brother shared with him before pinning his eyes back onto Tessa. She saw the rage and the power bottled up inside him and swallowed heavily at the sight. The bad wolf was fighting and clawing to get out – to protect her from the walkers and the fucker standing beside him and she would be _damned _if he managed to keep it inside of him the entirety of this sick gladiatorial game.

"Then I'll have do ma damndest to keep 'em off ya, won' I, babydoll? Don't worry – I'll _protect you_!"

It was at that moment that she vaguely remembered the horse event that her grandfather had taken her before he died and when she was still a young girl. It was a highly illegal event that was being hosted in a remote location in the desert not that far outside of their reservation. He didn't want to take her but she had begged him to and he had, not because he wanted to show her such cruelty, but because he wanted her to know that the world did indeed possess such cruelty and to live not realizing that, was a gross ignorance.

Supposedly it was an event that held much traditional significance to a certain culture but as Tessa sat there and watched the brutal, stomach-churning event, she found herself wondering why such a thing could ever be possibly considered as such. A mare in heat was led into the large arena and tied to a stake in the middle. Then, stallion after stallion was led into the pen, the horses immediately becoming agitated and excited when they smelled her in heat. The handlers then let them go and the crowd watched and cheered and betted on which stallion would be the last one standing after the brutal slaying of their comrades in order to have the chance to finally be the one to breed with the mare. Brother on brother, father on son, stranger on stranger – it hadn't mattered.

Tessa felt vaguely like that mare. And as Daryl stood there, pinning Merle with glares of death and daggers, the feeling did not go away.

It had taken them a moment to realize that the Governor was talking again and when they finally turned their attentions back onto him, they realized with a chill what was happening: what this whole sick thing was about.

"Merle, a man I trusted above all others - who you _all_ trusted above all others – was the Judas in our midst! He lied and betrayed us and allowed the others to come in and kill us! He is the terrorist in our midst!" He moved across the arena then and pointed to Daryl. "And this is one of the terrorists who infiltrated our home - Merle's own brother!"

The two Dixons could only stand there, gazing at each other for a minute and through the crowd, Tessa spotted Andrea. Blonde hair standing out against the sea of darks and neutrals, she was gazing at the man walking around in the arena with a look of betrayal in her eyes. When her eyes fell on her and their gazes connected, they widened even more and she immediately made as if to walk forwards to stop the man walking around the, in the arena, but someone with glasses and dressed smartly – like a college professor - held her back and she had no choice but to stop.

The Governor smiled as he moved over to her. He was wearing a makeshift eye patch – one that consisted of a long strip of white cotton wrapped around his head and which covered the empty eye socket in question and which was also the kind you would see in the Civil War era sepia photographs when the soldiers had lost an eye to shrapnel or a bayonet. The one dark brown eye left appeared calm and almost soft when they fell onto her, however, she could see past those flimsy emotions quite easily. The man standing before her was ruthless and hell-bent on revenge. For what, she didn't know, but she had a feeling that the two emotions would drive him to great lengths in the upcoming weeks and months.

Someone had started one Hell of a turf war.

"What shall we do to these two terrorists? This beautiful woman right here holds the answer!" He grinned then as his hand sunk deep into her hair and then pulled her head back almost cruelly. He bore her dark neck to the crowd like one would bare an animal's neck to the butcher's knife and she let out a whimper of pain and discomfort. Daryl's eyes immediately darkened and he took a threatening step towards him, however, two men with guns pointed squarely at him, stepped forward threateningly as well and he had no choice but to come to a stop. His eyes stayed pinned on the Governor's, though, even when the man continued to grin. "This woman right here is the catalyst for the attack led by the terrorists! This woman, wanted by the both of them, shall be their ultimate undoing!"

Both Dixons didn't like the sound of that and Tessa couldn't help but allow her heart to practically jump up into overdrive. "I think we shall have a fight to the death! The winner walks free . . . with _her_!" The Governor shoved Tessa forward then and a combination of her weak legs losing their balance and the chain she was tethered to the ground with, losing its slackness, caused her to fall to the dust and the dirt. She caught herself on weak arms and she heard Daryl called out her name in concern laced with anger, although she barely heard him over the crowd's inhuman-like cheers and catcalls.

The snarling and the snapping of the walkers could be heard growing closer and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Governor slip into the crowd to stand on one of the bleachers surrounding the arena in relative safety. Andrea was also on the bleaches and the woman had a look of horror on her face at the sight of what was about to happen. Immediately she turned on him and lit into him, the man turning to face her with a coolness and a steadiness that was only possessed by those who had nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. Tessa's eyes then landed on the walkers and then on Merle, who was still gazing at his little brother standing beside him like he was seeing a ghost. Her teeth gritted then, in what emotion, she couldn't really tell.

"Daryl!" She called and when she turned her eyes up to his, she saw he was gazing at her expectantly, as if waiting for what she said before he let anything happen. Her eyes darkened when she realized what their only way out of there would be and when he realized what the next words out of her mouth were probably gonna be, his eyes darkened as well as he prepared himself for what it was he was about to need to do.

"Fuckin' rip 'em apart – rip _all _of them apart!"

* * *

Daryl let out an almost inhuman, bloodthirsty roar as he grasped Merle's head and slammed it into the ground a third time, the older Dixon lying there in the dirt, stunned for a moment. The crowd's cheers grew just a little bit louder as Merle spit blood onto the dirt and felt every bruise forming on his body that Daryl had dealt him since Tessa's yelled words. He had to admit – his brother could certainly pack a punch, although Tessa's chained presence probably only exacerbated his desire to get them out of there alive.

When Merle didn't immediately get up, Daryl hopped off of him and ran over to Tessa still chained in the middle and who was quickly being approached by a lumbering walker free of its handler. She cringed when Daryl's fist flew past her and landed squarely on the walker's jaw. The blow took the corpse off his feet and it flew backwards, where it landed on its back in the dirt, where it lay there for a moment before slowly getting to its feet again.

"He's stunned, but not for long. Can ya get these chains offa ya?" He asked her hurriedly and in hushed whispers, as he moved over to her and took up her wrists, where he observed the black shackles wrapped around the delicate bones. The handlers had a good grip on the walkers by then, so they were safe . . . for now.

Tessa swallowed hard and shook her head as they gazed down at the thick pulling chain welded to the heavy black shackles that eventually ended at the rounded spike hammered into the earth a few feet away. There was no way to remove it by hand – they'd need a tool of some sort, and when he realized this, he cursed violently as Tessa summoned desperately for words. "I mean . . . I can . . ." Her eyes brightened then when something suddenly dawned on her. "My knife – Daryl, they forgot to get the hunting knife that I always carry on me! Dumbasses _actually _forgot to get my knife!" She told him with a relieved laugh and his eyes immediately shot up to hers, where they adopted a hopeful gleam.

"It ain' exactly a _Kalashnikov_, but it'll have to do for what we need. Where is it?"

"Strapped to my thigh, where it always is. You'll have to find some way to get it without them – _Daryl_, behind you!"

Daryl barely had time to react when he heard Tessa's frightened words and the angry roar that came quickly from behind him. He spun around, right when Merle's hand closed around the edge of his leathers, where he pushed him down to the ground. Tessa let out a shriek of fright and quickly jumped away when they fell down, Daryl's hands just barely enclosing around Merle's throat as his did the same.

"Ya asshole – ya don' honestly expect them to jus' let either of us walk away with Tess, do ya?"

Merle's lips pursed then as his grip on his throat lightened. "Jus' follow ma lead, little brother – we'll get out of this!" He told them and it took Daryl a moment to collect himself when Merle's weight was suddenly off of him and the man was standing up, facing the walker ring that was steadily closing in around them. Daryl quickly got to his feet as well when he realized what had just happened. He yanked the hunting knife from the sheath strapped to Tessa's thigh before he scrambled for the rounded spike a few feet away from them. After sliding the blade through the spike and jerking firmly upwards, the spike slid up quite surprisingly well. When she was free, he hooked a hand underneath her arm and dragged her backwards, where they put their backs against Merle's. They could see the Governor's eyes darken in anger at the sight of the hunting knife in Daryl's hand and he knew _someone _was going to get fired when all this was over.

But Hell, if this was how Merle had planned it all along, then he wouldn't be halfway surprised if _he _had been the one to leave it there.

"Daryl . . .?"

"It'll be fine – I'm here now, babydoll . . ." Daryl answered her slightly nervous question by linking his arm through with hers.

"Philip stop this! Stop this now!" They heard Andrea's voice through the crowd but there was no answer. There was no man stepping forward to call the leashed walkers back. The Governor only stood and watched as Daryl and Merle would dart out to kick or punch the walkers away from them before returning to the circle. They didn't want to use the knife unless they absolutely had too – they didn't know what the Governor would do if they actually managed to drive it through one of the walker's heads. Biting a bullet wasn't exactly the way that either one of them wanted to end that Hellish day.

"When we get out of here . . . we're gonna fuck, baby, whether you want to or not!" Daryl told her and Tessa let out a little laugh and nodded in agreement.

"Now that, Daryl, sounds like a damn good plan!"

The walkers were closing in even more - they were starting to feel a little stifled, in fact, but froze when a gunshot suddenly ripped through the air. One of the walkers hit the ground, dead, seconds later, and the crowd immediately screamed and started scattering as Daryl yelled out a relieved, "Hallelujah"! Tessa let out a relieved prayer of her own when she saw Maggie behind a dumpster a little ways off, a sniper rifle in her hands. Another gunshot split the air through the crowd's screams and a young woman hit the ground dead next as Rick threw a flashbang into the crowd before deploying his automatic rifle, the popping gunshots making everyone run just a little bit faster. The Governor, as cool as ice, stayed in the middle, taking out the pistol he had in the inside pocket of his coat as he did so as he made his way calmly through the dust and smoke towards them. Lights burst above the crowd and sparks rained down onto them as they fought to get out of there and for a minute, Maggie and Rick lost sight of the three people that had been standing in the middle of it and the real reasons why they had come back.

"Rick – Rick, I can't see them!" Maggie spoke quickly, her voice taking on a slightly alarmed tone, and Rick nodded as he peered over the edge of the dumpster. At first he had feared they had been trampled underneath the feet of the running crowd or even shot by the ones holding guns, but when he saw Daryl and Tessa's booted feet in-between the running ones of the other people, still in the same circle they had been in when they first arrived, he let out a relieved sigh.

"I see them – just keep firing. We need to get them a way out of there before they're trampled or worse!"

Maggie nodded and continued firing and for a moment, they didn't register that the walkers had somehow gotten freed.

Now free of their handlers, they lumbered after the stragglers of the crowd, moaning and snarling and outstretching their hands towards them. Some even managed to find purchase – grips that eventually pulled the poor, unfortunate soul closer so that they could take a chunk of meat out of their neck or their shoulder or their arm. Tessa felt Daryl quickly pull up the chain still tethered to her by the shackles wrapped around her wrists and took a hold of it before taking one of her hands in his.

"Come on – they're over here!" He told her and she nodded as they took off running through the dirt and the smoke towards where the gunshots were coming from. Neither cared if Merle was following them – all they cared about was getting away from there.

"I'll take that back – thank ya very much, asshole!" Daryl spoke gruffly as he yanked his crossbow out of one of guard's hands. He then punched him swiftly across the face, dropping the man to the ground milliseconds later before yanking her off in the direction of Rick and Maggie again.

"For . . . for a moment, I didn't know if you were going to come for me," She told him, her chest heaving as they ran. "I thought I would never see you again . . . that I would never see Ethan and the twins again," She shook her head and when he glanced behind her and saw tears quickly filling her eyes, he had to rein himself back from stopping and taking her into his arms. "Oh my God, Daryl, I was so scared!" He nodded, knowing that, that moment wasn't exactly the best time for him to comfort her.

"I know ya were, babydoll, and I'm sorry that it took me so long to get to ya but for right now we gotta run and focus on gettin' out of here, where we can take these chains offa ya. Can ya do that?" Tessa immediately nodded as they continued running, where they finally reached Rick and Maggie seconds later. Tessa's heart sunk when she Merle easily on their heels but was able to ignore him as Daryl stepped coolly in-between them.

"Go, go!" They heard Rick speak and the wasted no time in taking off running again, their first order of business to get out of Woodbury as fast as they could. Tessa's hand clutched at Daryl's and when their fingers entwined moments later, she felt him pull her closer to him as they ran – as close as he could, anyway, without them tripping over each other. Her chain jingled in his hand the entire time and she found that she couldn't wait for the moment when she could finally get those damn chaffing shackles off of her.

"They are all out at the arena – this way!"

It was Merle who spoke when they finally made their way to the main street of Woodbury and they all came to a stop when Rick did, his voice gruff and his eyes cold when he pinned them onto Merle. "You ain't going anywhere with us!"

"Do ya really want to do this now?" He asked as he gestured them over to a loose piece of corrugated metal that made up the nearby wall and Rick found that he couldn't object – not at that moment, anyway, and that Daryl could either. He held it up and allowed the others to slip through before doing the same, allowing the doorway to close behind them, as inconspicuous as the split second before Merle had brought their attention onto it. They found themselves faced with a steady stream of walkers lumbering towards them. "Now come on – we ain't got time for this!" He shouted before turning off and sprinting in the general direction of the woods. Daryl moved to go off with him but Tessa held him back, a pleading look appearing in her eyes as she stayed put with Maggie and Rick.

"Daryl, let him go!" She urged him. "Please!"

A look of something she couldn't entirely place flashed across his eyes then. "I still got one Hell of a bone to pick with him Tess. I kinda want to keep up with him until the moment comes when I can yank tha' bastard out, okay?" He told her and she stayed put for a second longer before swallowing heavily and nodding. She allowed him to lead them off at a run after Merle again, Tessa sharing a weak look with Maggie before she and Rick followed them as well.


	50. Chapter 49, part II

**Part II. Again, please leave all reviews at the end of THIS chapter and those tissues I mentioned in the last part? Yeah, your gonna need them in this chapter.**

**Please don't hate me - again, this is only temporary!**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

The sun was rising when the small group finally trekked their way through the woods and found the car they had left on the side of the road, and Glenn and Michonne they left behind at it as well. The both of them couldn't help but release breaths of relief when Rick shouted for them in the woods and they immediately moved to join them, a look of relief on Glenn's face the entire time. "Oh thank God Tessa – I thought we'd have to –"

"Glenn, we have a problem here, but I need you guys to back up!"

"What the Hell is he doing here?" Glenn immediately spoke after Rick interrupted him, his eyes firing up when he saw Merle trailing a little ways behind Tessa and Daryl. The sound of Michonne drawing her sword could also be heard and Rick and Daryl immediately moved to stand in-between them and Merle as Maggie ignored them both. She instead turned and pulled Tessa into a fierce hug. Tessa closed her eyes and returned the hug the best she could with her hands shackled and ended up only being able to grip her friend's shoulder as tears filled the two women's eyes.

Eventually, though, the loud shouts of protests coming from everyone except them, brought them out of their hug and they turned to face them, right when Rick stepped in-between Merle and Michonne, who had her sword pointed directly at Merle and Rick. Maggie swallowed hard as she picked up Tessa's hands and looked at the shackles wrapped around them. "Come on, let me look at these chains, we might want to get you out of them as fast as we can . . ."

"Daryl, if it wasn't for him -!"

"He helped us get out of there!" Daryl interrupted him, a look of anger appearing on his face as he shot his eyes back at Merle standing against a tree behind him. "I still got one _Hell _of a bone to pick with him!"

"Yeah, right after you guys beat the shit out of each other!" Rick snapped back before returning his eyes and his gun to Michonne. "At least it looks like you did a fair amount of the beating, though." Daryl nodded.

"Yeah, that was for the kidnapping. I still got plans in payback for other shit . . ." He muttered as he glanced at him again and it was then that a loud "Gotcha!" split through the air. They glanced at Maggie and Tessa, right when the shackles slid from her wrists and pooled on the forest floor. Daryl kept a steady handhold on the chain, though, knowing it would make a good improvised weapon if it came to that.

"How did you do that?" Tessa asked in slight awe as she moved to massage her wrists and Maggie sheepishly showed her the bobby pin she had in her pants pocket.

"Saw it in the movies; thought it might work 'cause the shackles look kinda old. Glad it did though, huh?" Tessa nodded as Maggie pocketed the bobby pin before moving over to the rest of them. Tessa shoved her way past Glenn to standing in front of Daryl as Maggie took a hesitant position behind her fiance. Glenn's gun arm faltered now that it was pointed on Tessa and even though his lips pursed in irritation and slight anger, it fell, nonetheless, to his side. In addition, Daryl also finally let the chain fall from his hand as he placed a hand on the small of her back – just to feel the warmth blooming from her flesh through her clothes and to make sure that she _was_ actually there and it wasn't just a cruel dream.

"Put down your weapons – _especially_ you!" Tessa spoke, her voice brooking no argument as she placed a hand on both Daryl and Glenn's chests, keeping them apart in case they wanted to lunge at each other, even though it was pretty unlikely. Her eyes flashed when they met Michonne and the woman's eyes steadily met hers back.

"You must be Tessa – Daryl's wife. I've heard a lot about you."

"Wish I could say the same. There is something you should know, though. These boys here," She gestured to Glenn, Daryl and Rick then. "As well as every guy back at the prison, are known as my boys – I'm kinda known as the Den Mother of the group, you must understand. And you just _happen _to be the bitch holding a sword with the intent to do harm to one of my boys. So I'd _suggest_ that you sheath it – _now_."

"I dare you to stop me."

"Oh bitch, you don't know what I can do – so please, don't _force _me to make you!"

Merle's laughter caused everyone's attentions to shift. "Damn brother, looks like ya squaw's got some mouth on her!"

Daryl twirled around to face his brother at her words, his eyes darkening. "Ya know what? Ya ass is lucky ya even here alive!" He told him, his anger quickly bubbling back to the surface as he stood there, gazing at him. "Hangin' out with tha' psycho back there – doin' all kinds of shit to Tessa – ya lucky I _didn'_ kill ya back there!"

"Daryl, baby, he didn't do anything to me," Tessa told him, her voice quiet and he turned to gaze at her in turn, a wide eyed, shocked look in his eyes. She nodded. "Believe me, I want _so_ badly to tell you that he did after the shit he said to me, but he didn't lay a finger on me. Unbelievably, I know, but . . ." She trailed off then in a mutter, her voice one of slight disbelief and Merle shrugged.

"Yeah, man, he is a charmer, I got to tell ya tha'," He turned his eyes onto Michonne then. "He's been puttin' the wood to ya girlfriend Andrea. And believe me, Tess, it wasn' tha' I didn' _want _to -!"

"Ya _bastard -_!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, brother, calm down!" Merle quickly spoke up as Daryl's hand clenched in the scruff of his shirt and his fist rose. Merle's hands rose too in quick appeasement as Rick turned around and settled his gaze onto Michonne. "Damn, brother, ya startin' to look like the old man whenever ya do tha'!"

Those words alone seemed to take the air out of his wings and he stepped away from him entirely too quickly for Tessa's liking. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stepped closer to Daryl, her gaze switching back and forth between the two of them as Glenn spoke, his eyes going back and forth between Merle, Daryl and Tessa.

"Andrea's in Woodbury?"

"Yeah . . . right next to the damn Governor." Daryl replied to him, his tone quieter as he finally was able to pull Tessa into a hug then, where he brought her tight against him. Her arms immediately wrapped around him and she buried her face in his chest. They stood there for a moment, trying not to allow tears to appear in their eyes as they struggled to process that they _finally_ had each other back! After countless tears and heartache and fears and worries and doubts, they _finally _had each other back!

"How are the kids? How's Ethan and-and the twins? Are they safe?" She asked him when she broke apart and after placing her hands on his chest, turned a worried look up to him. Daryl nodded, his eyes soft and loving as he framed her face with his hands and pressed a loving kiss to her lips.

"They're fine – ya don' have to worry about them -!"

"Kid- _zuh_? Damn, baby brother, I knew ya had twins but there's _another _one too?" Merle asked before whistling in disbelief. "_Dayum_, ya and Tessa have been fuckin' like bunnies since this whole thing started, haven' ya?" Daryl's teeth gritted in slight anger as he nodded and left her in order to turn around and face him, his face hard.

"Yeah, his name's Ethan. He's _thirteen_, 'bout to be fourteen." He spoke before falling silent, allowing Merle to do the counting in his head. When he finally did, he immediately shook his head and pointed a finger at him.

"Oh no, Daryl, don' ya dare tell me -!"

"I'm sorry, but this can be settled later! Can we _please _get back on the topic of Andrea being in Woodbury?" Glenn asked rather impatiently as he interrupted Merle mid-sentence. The oldest Dixon shot him a look before pinning Daryl with one none of them could rightly decipher as Rick yelled at Michonne to drop the sword when she tried to make a lunge for Merle.

"You know Andrea?" Rick demanded when she was still and Michonne glared at him for a moment before a grinning Merle answered him.

"Yup, she does. She and Blondie spent all winter cuddlin' up in the forest. Mmm, mmm, mmm . . . yup, my Nubian Queen here had two pet walkers. They had no arms and she had cut off the jaws and kept 'em in chains," He glanced at Tessa. "It's kinda ironic, now that I think 'bout it, eh sweet-pea -?"

"Shut up, bro!" Daryl snapped at him as he took a threatening step towards him and Merle shook his head, ignoring his outburst.

"Hey man, we snagged them out of the woods, Andrea close to dyin'."

"Is that why she's with him?" Maggie asked and Merle nodded.

"They're as snug as two little bugs, they are," He spoke before turning a cold gaze onto Rick. "So what you gonna do now, Sheriff, huh? Surrounded by a bunch of liars, thugs and cowards -"

"Shut _up_!" Rick snapped at him over his shoulder and Merle – damnable Merle – only laughed in response.

"Oh-ho man, look at this! Pathetic, ain' it?" He asked, directing his words towards Daryl. "All these guns and no bullet in them -"

"Merle – _shut _the _fuck up_!" Daryl hissed at him as he turned around to face him, Tessa's hand immediately latching onto his arm as he did so. Merle quickly turned to face him as his laughter dried up in favor of anger.

"Shut up yourself! Bunch of pussies; you roll -!"

Merle was suddenly shut up by Rick knife-butting him in the back of the head and Tessa rolled her eyes as she turned away from them, her fingers rubbing away the migraine that was starting in her temples. "Oh thank God – _thank_ you, Rick! I was starting to get tired of hearing him!" She muttered and Rick nodded in welcome as he sheathed his knife seconds later. Daryl shook his head as he gazed down at his brother.

"Asshole."

* * *

"Daryl, what are you saying?"

"Look, I ain' tryin' to piss ya off, Tess, but maybe me unleashin' ma anger and wrath on him right now isn' the best thing. The Governor is gonna be on his way to the prison – we all know tha' - and he ain' exactly gonna be waitin' for a damn invitation!" Daryl spoke as he moved to hold everyone's gaze but purposely avoiding Tessa's wide-eyed look of shock. "Merle knows how he thinks and we could use the muscle. He'd he useful!"

"I am _not _having him that prison!" Tessa snapped at him as she shook her head. "Ethan, Wren – the _fucking _twins and oh my God!" She let out a laugh of sarcastic disbelief then as she threw her hands up in the air. "Do I honestly have to mention _myself _too in that list? You _know _how Merle feels about me Daryl - how he feels like he has to compete with you for me!" She shook her head. "So how could you _possibly_ advocate such a thing?" Rick nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Daryl, but I have to agree with Tess. There is no way in Hell that Merle is going to live with us – not after everything he put Tessa through and not with the kids there."

"He ain' no fuckin' child molester!" Daryl snapped and Tessa gritted her teeth in anger as she turned her eyes up to his.

"Yes, but he _is_ a _fucking _rapist! Or have you forgotten what he fucking did to me in that barn?"

"Of course I haven' Tess! Jesus Chris, I have _nightmares '_bout tha' happenin' to ya again and again and I'm not able to get to ya! I jus' think right now tha' the pros of Merle jus' _happen _to outweigh the cons!" Tessa shook her head in disbelief again as she turned around and walked off a little ways.

"I can't talk to you right now. Hell, I can't even _look _at you right now!" She snapped, almost beyond angry and Rick glanced at her before he turned his eyes back onto Daryl.

"I can't have everyone at each other's throats and look at you and Tess - look at how angry she is just by you bringing this up! You can't tell me that this wouldn't become an everyday thing with you guys! And the twins and Ethan – they don't need that."

"No they don't!" Tessa fumed behind him and her eyes connected with Daryl's for a moment before she looked away again, her lips pursing.

"So you're gonna cut Merle loose but bring the Last Samurai home with us?" He asked then as he gestured to Michonne leaning up against the car a few meters away, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Rick glanced at her as Tessa still stood there a little way behind him, her back to Daryl and her arms crossed in front of her breasts. She was trembling in anger and didn't deign to answer him for once.

"She's not coming back." Rick assured him and Maggie gave a shrug.

"Rick, she's not in a state to be on her own." She told him as their eyes connected and Glenn heaved a sigh as he turned to him too.

"She _did_ bring you guys to us."

"Yeah, and then _ditched _us!" Rick immediately replied back before turning his eyes onto her again. "Not-to-mention she's too unpredictable." Daryl nodded in agreement.

"That's right – we don't know who she is." His eyes flickered onto Tessa's back then before falling onto Rick. He knew these next words wouldn't sit well with her but he had to say them. "But Merle – Merle's blood -"

"_You fucking asshole_!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Tess – calm down!"

"How the _fuck _could you say that, you piece of _shit_?"

Daryl cringed underneath Tessa's fingernails and her fists as she mercilessly pummeled him, a look of absolute fury appearing on her face. When Rick finally managed to wrap his arms around her waist and yank her off of him, Daryl turned an expressionless look onto her as she wrenched herself free of Rick before pinning a look of fury onto him. "You call him family after what he did to me?" She asked him, her voice barely a whisper. "You call him family after he _lied _to you about where I went when I left you – how he _made _me leave you to begin with?" She shook her head and swallowed heavily, her finger trembling as she pointed in the general direction of the prison. "Your family – your _blood_, Daryl – the _only _blood that should matter to you - is back at that prison! It runs in the veins of your son and your children – in Ethan and Daniel and Aayla. That-that . . . _undeserving_ _motherfucker_, in no way, deserves whatever scant loyalty you are crazy enough to still put in him!" Glenn nodded in agreement.

"She's right. My family, Daryl – my _blood_, is standing right here and is back at that prison too."

"And your part of that family," Rick told him. "_Your _family is an integral part too! Your little boy and your little girl will grow up with mine – with whatever other children will be born in the group too!" Tessa swallowed hard then, her anger dissipating somewhat as she shakily placed a hand on his cheek.

"But Daryl, baby, he's not! He's . . . he's _not_!" Daryl's eyes fell onto hers then and he saw tears bubbling up in her eyes as her voice lowered still. "Those children back in the prison are not his – I didn't have _his _children – I didn't give birth to _his _children! I had _yours_, Daryl,because I _love you _and I've wanted your children ever since we slept together for the first time I realized that I couldn't love another man the way I do you!" She shook her head. "Don't make me do this, baby, _please_ don't make me do this!" He knew what she meant and he didn't want her to do it either, but as his hand curled around her hip, attempting to bring her closer as he gazed at her with pleading eyes, he knew before he even spoke that she would.

"Tess, please, the group _needs _him -!"

"No . . . absolutely we do _not_ need him!" Tessa spoke as she shook her head and turned her gaze down to the ground then, her pleading tears quickly becoming tears of anger as she wrenched herself out of his grip. The motion almost seemed to rip her heart in half and she had to bite down on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. "No, Daryl, I'm not doing this. You told me once that one of the reasons you loved me was because I wasn't like your mother - that you knew I would do _everything_ in my given power to protect my children – that I would fight tooth and nail for them if the moment came that I would need to do so!" She shook her head then as she turned a determined gaze up to him. "Well I'm doing that now, even though it's practically killing me. You leave Merle here and come back with us – back to your _family_, or you don't come back at all," She shook her head. "If you do, though, then I'm done, Daryl. If you choose Merle over me, then I won't be able to do it anymore. I'll . . . I'll have to cut you from my life and then . . ." The tears spilled over from her eyes then, running streaks down her dirty cheeks. "Then you'll never see me or your children again – I promise you! But you need to know that you will _kill _your son, Daryl! You will hurt Ethan _so badly_ and please, don't do that! I don't think I could handle seeing him so hurt!"

They held gazes for a moment then and in hindsight, Daryl didn't know what came over him. He didn't know what made walk away from her. But he did. He pushed past her and then pushed past Glenn and Maggie and when she tearfully called out his name, her voice so full of fear and agony that it almost make his heart explode, he forced himself to keep walking, even though it felt like every step was being weighted down with a cinder-block. He told himself that the only reason he turned away and walked away from everything he had ever known until they – the woman of his dreams, his three beautiful children, was to keep them safe. He told himself that as soon as they were gone, him and Merle were gonna go to Woodbury and put a bullet through the Governor's head, then he would put a bullet through Merle's for what he did to her and then go back to the prison.

But as he walked away, he knew deep in his gut that, that wouldn't happen . . . that he was walking away for good.

_The smell of gardenias in his nose as he would bury his face in her hair – the taste of her and the feel of her tongue in his mouth, tangling with his . . . the look in her eyes when they would lay naked together afterwards and tease each other and whisper sweet nothings, that beautiful grin always on her face . . ._

_The grin on Ethan's face when he shot his crossbow for the first time – the first time Daryl ever let him drive the bike . . . the first time he ever looked at him and called him 'deddy' . . ._

_The feel of his son and his daughter sleeping in his arms after Tessa was done feeding them, their warm, pink skin so soft from the womb and he would marvel at how him and Tessa could ever have created something so perfect together when the both of them were so damned broken and wounded . . ._

As every memory flitted through his mind, cruelly taunting him and reminding him what he was leaving behind, he vowed that he wasn't leaving them because of Merle. He was leaving them to keep them safe and to end the evil before it even arrived on his doorstep.

He nonetheless couldn't help but bow his head and allow a few tears to leave his eyes, though.

_I'm so sorry, Ethan . . . _


	51. Chapter 50

**There will be 'aww's' (Gah! I'm so giddy about the first part of this chapter! :D), possibly more tears and then more drama ALL in this chapter along with kickass song lyrics. Don't know why, just though I'd give ya guys a break with all this nonstop drama :)**

**HermioneandMarcus and Smittendebs: Thank you again for reviewing - love ya guys :)**

**allons-ymeg and jouetdedestin: I know, I know - not what you guys wanted to read, but again, I did it to open various pathways that I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. Again, its only temporary and I promise, it my heart out too to write it :(**

**wickedclownsmile: Breathe, honey! LOL If I didn't write it so sad, then how was I supposed to write it? And besides . . . who says Merle's getting back to the prison in one piece? ;)**

**HaloHunter89: I love you. I really, really do. Two huge, nice reviews - you made my day and please, keep them up! Um, a lot of what you said about Tessa, Ethan and Daryl WILL be addressed in this chapter and the next one, so keep your pants about that. In fact, a lot of what you said gets addressed in this chapter and the next, so you know what? Just keep reading XD XD**

**Maddy-MarieXO: Oh believe me, she won't.**

* * *

_"Have no fear for giving in_

_Have no fear for giving over_

_You'd better know that in the end_

_It's better to say too much_

_Then never say what you need to say again_

_Even if your hands are shaking_

_And your faith is broken_

_Even as the eyes are closing_

_Do it with a heart wide open"_

_- "Say" by John Mayer_

"Hey . . ."

Ethan quickly wiped away the tears that fell from his eyes before turning around to face whoever the voice belonged to, expecting Rick, Carol or at least his mother. When he saw it was Wren, though, he calmed slightly but turned away nonetheless to hide the tears that still continued to build up in his eyes. He couldn't stop crying. He wanted to be strong – he knew that he needed _to_ be strong for his mother, but it was just so hard.

God, he was hurting.

"I'm just . . . just keeping watch." He told her while nodding to the chain-link fence separating them and the prison yard and Wren smiled weakly as she moved over to him and took a seat on the crumbling wall standing beside him.

"Then where's your bow and your gun? It's kinda hard to kill a walker without a weapon, ain't it?" She told him and he shook his head, puffing out his chest slightly. He always managed to find a way to brag to Wren – preferably when her older brother wasn't around to tease him on how much he liked his little sister.

"I don't need one. All I need is this . . ." He gestured to the knife at his side and Wren nodded as her eyes flickered down to it. He glanced at her before moving his eyes away to scan the tree line beyond the chain-link fence separating the prison from the outside world. "Deddy taught me that you don't always need a gun and a bow to kill a walker. One of the first things he taught me was how to melee kill a walker." He felt tears prickle his eyes again. It was so hard talking about him now in the past tense – like he would _never _come back to them. Ethan knew he would come back because he knew his deddy and Daryl's heart was with his family too much in order to walk away – not like what his mother had told him (and even then he doubted that she had told him the full truth).

"How are you doing about that? You know . . . how are you dealing?" She asked him, her voice coming out small and quiet and Ethan glanced down at her again. This was the first time they had ever exclusively talked to just each other, completely alone. Most of the time they were in a group or a place where there was a potential for someone to overhear them. Out here, they were all alone and it felt . . . strange, somehow. You could never really get completely alone in the prison but apparently, they had somehow unintentionally accomplished it.

Not-to-mention Wren was finally taking Tessa's advice and talking to her son - something that continued to put nervous butterflies in her stomach.

"I'm fine." He told her, his voice gruff and dismissive and so very Daryl and Wren shook her head.

"No you're not, Ethan! That answer might have appeased the others but I know better – I know _you _better than that!"

"Ya don' know me!" Ethan immediately snapped at her, his eyebrows furrowing in slight anger and that reaction too, as well as the look on his face, was another completely Daryl reaction. His Southern twang also came out heavier when he was angry – something _else_ that he shared with his father. "Ya have _no idea _what I'm feelin' right now – how Goddamn _hurt _I am 'cause that _bastard _left us!" He looked away then, lest Wren see the few lone tears that streaked down his cheeks and shook his head. "How could he leave us, Wren? He had seemed so happy – him and _momma_ had seemed so happy, especially when the twins were finally born . . .!" He trailed off then and when he turned his eyes back onto her, the tears were gone but newer, fresher ones were taking their place. "How could he leave me and the twins? I mean, even if it was 'cause of something between him and momma, how could he still leave? How could he abandon us?"

"What did your momma tell you happened?" She asked him and Ethan scoffed and shook his head.

"That he left with my uncle Merle because he had a bone to settle – that he might not ever come back – that she was _sure _he was never going to come back, in fact!"

"What was the bone?" Ethan shrugged again.

"She wouldn't tell me, but . . ." He shook his head. "I know why he went Wren – I can understand 'cause, despite her wanting to keep me in the dark with a lot of things that happened to her in the past, I ain't blind! I could see the look in momma's eyes whenever she and deddy would talk about my uncle Merle – the anger and the hatred and the _fear_! He did something and that something gave deddy one _Hell _of a vendetta."

Wren gave him a smile as she watched him take a seat on the crumbling wall beside her. "Well, when he comes back, maybe you should ask him why he left. Because, he didn't abandon you, Ethan – he didn't abandon his _family _- he _couldn't_! His heart is with you and your mother too much to allow him to do something as cold-hearted as that."

"How is she?" He asked her, his voice falling quiet and she knew he meant Tessa. Wren's face fell slightly and she gave a half-shrug.

"I want to say that she's doing better than yesterday, but . . ." She shook her head. "That would probably be a lie. She's hurting, Ethan and it scares me, the way she's been acting lately. Her milk's seemed to dry up so we're having to feed the twins the formula and most of the time she just sits up there in the guard office gazing listlessly out the window that looks down onto the forest, almost as if she can will Daryl to come walking out of those woods if she concentrates hard enough." Ethan shook his head, a sorrowful look appearing in his eye.

"Deddy better come home fast, 'cause I don't think momma can live without him much longer." He told her and Wren couldn't help but nod in agreement as she got to her feet, heaving a sigh as she did so.

"As much as I would love to sit here and just talk to you, it's getting late. I should go in and help with dinner." She told him and he nodded as she moved past him. She felt herself stop, however, when he reached out and took ahold of her hand. She turned around to gaze at him, her eyes wide with slight alarm and he smiled a small, thankful smile.

"Thanks for worryin' about me, Wren. It . . . it feels good to have someone to worry about me now that I'm the one havin' to worry about momma and deddy and not the other way around. It's . . . it's comforting . . ." Wren smiled cheerfully and nodded as he got to his feet and moved to stand in front of her. He towered above her, the spitting image of a darker, younger looking Daryl and Wren felt herself swallow heavily, especially when she noticed that he had yet to let go of her hand. And when their fingers entwined, Wren felt her cheeks bloom with a hot blush as she quickly averted her eyes down to the broken cement underneath them. Giddy butterflies started beating their feather light wings in her stomach and she nodded, finding herself mysteriously unable to meet his eyes now.

"A-any time, Ethan. You're my friend - I can't help but worry about you when you're like this." She told him and he let out a quiet laugh then. She could almost see the grin that had split his face and it was at that moment that she realized she _had _to have some sort of tiny crush on Daryl in order to find his look-alike-son so damn good-looking!

"Friend . . .? Have I been friend-zoned?" He asked, amusement tingeing his words and Wren shook her head as she turned a stricken look onto him. Their eyes finally connected then and the blush across her cheeks burned hotter when she saw the warm look in his beautiful blue Dixon eyes. However, she forced herself to hold his gaze nonetheless, and vaguely, she felt him take up her other hand as well and allowed him to entwine their fingers then too.

"Of course not, Ethan! I mean, you _are _my friend and all but I also . . . see, what I mean is . . . I want to -!"

She was interrupted by Ethan leaning down and pressing a gentle, almost sheepish kiss to her lips. She froze, her eyes growing wide and when he broke apart, they gazed at each other for a moment, Wren in stunned shock that he had actually leaned down and kissed her, more than anything. Ethan's heart seemed to drum against his chest in nervousness. He had kissed girls before – various girls on the reservation before the apocalypse and even Beth _after_ the apocalypse, but Wren was different than those girls and Beth. She was beautiful and good and he wondered vaguely if how he felt for her at that moment was how Daryl had first felt for Tessa way back then.

But most of all, he wondered if she felt the same.

His fears were answered when she bit down on her bottom lip and turned a slightly shy gaze up to him. "That . . . that was my first kiss . . ." She told him, somewhat awkwardly and his eyes immediately grew wide as he took a few steps back. She didn't let go of his hands, though and she couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face.

"Wren, I'm so sorry, I didn't -!"

"It's fine, Ethan! It was . . . it was nice. Can we . . . maybe do it again?" She asked, another shy look appearing on her face again as her blush burned hotter still, and Ethan nodded and smiled as he stepped closer to her. He lowered his head down to hers and she ended up meeting him halfway, their lips meeting in another shy kiss that carefully deepened the longer they stood there. A pulse settled in-between their clasped fingers and when they broke apart and Wren stepped closer to him, her head tucking underneath his chin as he wrapped his arms around her, they stood there for a minute, feeling lighter than air and strangely giddy.

It was then that Ethan realized that suddenly, everything in his life seemed just a little bit brighter.

* * *

_"What have I become _

_My sweetest friend _

_Everyone I know goes away _

_In the end _

_And you could have it all _

_My empire of dirt _

_I will let you down _

_I will make you hurt _

_If I could start again _

_A million miles away _

_I would keep myself _

_I would find a way."_

_- "Hurt" by Johnny Cash_

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad/ Take a sad song and make it better/ Remember to let her into your heart/ Then you can start to make it better . . ."

Beth smiled as she climbed the stairs to the Guard Office, two bottles of warm formula in her hands and Tessa's melodic voice floating from the open door. She saw Carol and Maggie smile in amusement from the first floor before they moved into the common room to prepare dinner and when she appeared in the doorway, Tessa was changing Danny's diaper.

"That's _Hey Jude_, right? Daddy's a big _Beatles _fan." She spoke with a shrug and Tessa grinned and nodded as she finished up his diaper and picked him up, where she slipped on his light blue one-sie. For some reason, she could see Hershel being a _Beatles _fan and she held her son close for a minute, feeling his small body against hers - his warmth and his softness - and when he gurgled against her shoulder and his small hand curled into her hair, she couldn't help but smile. Beth continued to smile as well as she held up the two bottles of formula in her hands.

"I know it's not their regular feeding time but I got these for them while I was getting Judith's ready. I hope you don't mind." Tessa shook her head as she set Danny down beside Aayla before moving to recline on her side beside them along the bunk.

"Yeah, that's fine; I was about to go down and get them ready myself, so its no big deal." She told her and Beth nodded as she took a seat on the bunk beside her, placing the bottles of formula down on the floor beside her feet. She glanced at Tessa then and the older woman grinned and nodded, giving her permission to pick up Aayla. The baby let out a sound of protest when she was picked up but settled comfortably down in the young girl's arms and Tessa couldn't help but continue to smile as she lay there beside Danny. Used to be, Aayla would immediately begin crying whenever anyone but she and Daryl picked her up, but apparently the baby was growing out of it, thank God.

Beth moved to carefully cradle her head as she shifted her in her arms and Tessa gave a little laugh. "You're a natural at this, Beth!" She told her and Beth turned a small smile up to her as the woman reclining alongside her allowed her eyes to soften as she placed a loving hand on her son's small chest. His eyes found hers and he held them as he reached out and grabbed ahold of her finger, grinning as he did so. Even now, this early, she could tell that he would have Daryl's grin and she felt tears prickle in her eyes at the sight but managed to beat them back as she glanced at Beth. "It was funny, Ethan used to wake the neighbors, you know that? Three o'clock every morning – _just_ like clockwork," She grinned and gave a laugh then. "And Sam would get up every morning and go to the door and apologize to them and explain that he was hungry or he was teething or whatever else it was at the time and that we'd get him back to bed as quickly as we could, which sometimes didn't go exactly as quickly as we had planned . . ." She trailed off and Beth smiled as she gazed down into Aayla's face – the face that was going to look the epitome of Tessa's when she grew older.

"I've always wanted a baby – ever since I was a little girl, in fact. I used to beg momma and daddy to get me babydolls when I younger so I could pretend to take care of them." She told her with a short laugh before falling silent. Tessa didn't reply, just remained lying there beside her son, gazing into his face, seemingly deep in thought. Eventually, though, she returned her eyes onto her and when she spoke, Tessa drug herself out of her thoughts and met the young girl's eyes. "Daryl will come back, Tess, I know it."

"And how do you know that?" She asked her, a look of slight curiosity appearing on her face and Beth gave a shrug as she gently bounced Aayla in her arms.

"I . . . it's silly, I know, but I can . . . I can feel it? He loves you guys too much to stay away for long," She shook her head. "We're weak without him, Tess." Tessa nodded and glanced at her.

"Yeah . . . and he is too, whether he wants to admit it or not."

"And I'm pissed at him for leaving," She continued on, her voice becoming firmer as she spoke and Tessa turned a slightly amused look onto her. She had never heard Beth adopt that tone of voice before, especially when referencing Daryl and it was interesting to hear. "I'm pissed because he hurt you and because he hurt . . . because he hurt Ethan . . ." She trailed off then and Tessa turned her eyes onto the young girl for a moment. Did she sense a note of concern in her voice when she referenced her son. Now that Ethan wasn't all that interested in her and instead, was putting more and more of his time into his relationship with Wren, Tessa could see that Beth was starting to take notice. She knew that she should probably say something but she didn't exactly know what to tell Beth about changing feelings when she had been in love with the same man for fifteen some-odd years and was _still _in love with the same man, despite what had happened.

However, Beth simply shook her head, keeping her from saying anything else as she continued speaking. "It's just . . . he had _no_ right to do that – he had no right to abandon you guys like that – and when we're about to face something huge!" She continued on and Tessa couldn't help but smile as she pushed herself off of the bunk to a sitting position and glanced at her then.

"Don't be mad at him, Beth, okay? It wasn't . . . it wasn't completely his fault - I certainly didn't do anything to help make him stay, now that I think about it. But whether he comes back or not, we'll survive this. I'll get over what I said to him, Ethan will heal and the twins will grow up knowing that their father was a man of his code and that no matter what happened, he loved them both so very, very much."

A tear ran down her cheek then as she spoke and as she gazed into her son's small face. Danny was still grinning up at her and eventually, Tessa couldn't help but bow her head, where she broke down into sobs. When arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a hug, it took her a moment to realize that Beth had gently set Aayla back down beside her brother and that it was the young girl's arms who were holding her.

"It'll be okay Tess. He'll come back, I promise . . ." Beth shushed her gently and no matter how hard she wanted to believe the young girl's assurances, Tessa wouldn't blame him if he never did come back – not after what she said to him back at the car.

_"You'll never see the twins again_!"

She knew she didn't say it in _quite _those same terms, but the affect was still the same. She had told him if he left her she would make sure he would never see his children again and once again, she mentally slapped herself. How could she have been so stupid as to say the one thing that she knew would keep him away forever?

* * *

_"You know I'm not one to break promises,_

_I don't want to hurt you but I need to breathe._

_At the end of it all, you're still my best friend,_

_But there's something inside that I need to release._

_Which way is right, which way is wrong,_

_How do I say that I need to move on?_

_You know we're heading separate ways._

_And it feels like I am just too close to love you,_

_There's nothing I can really say._

_I can lie no more, I can hide no more,_

_Got to be true to myself._

_And it feels like I am just too close to love you,_

_So I'll be on my way."_

_- "Too Close" – Alex Clare_

_"After all that shit . . . after everything we done and Daryl just ends up taking off with Merle?" Glenn asked, his eyes wide with disbelief, and Rick looked away._

_"He had his reasons."_

_"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that Rick," Glenn spat back. "Because it doesn't change the fact that we are up to our eyeballs in shit and that Tess is only God knows how fucked up! Look how fuckin' torn up and dead she is now – how she's almost refusing to feed her children! How can you possibly live with this – how are you possibly going to fix this?"_

How _was _he going to fix this?

Hershel noticed the tenseness of Rick's frame and heaved a sigh as they stood outside by the chainlink fence and looked out over the grassy yard to the forest beyond. Like Tessa, it seemed like Rick thought if he stared hard enough into the woods, thinking about how much it would amazing if Daryl was back, then he would just suddenly walk out of it and head back to the prison, a untold amount of squirrels and rabbits hanging from his belt like always.

Everything seemed so wrong without Daryl. Their entire lives seemed empty somehow, although no one mourned for him like Tessa was at that moment, cloistered away in the Guard Office with her children and coming down only to use the bathroom, take a shower and eat. He would be lying if he said they weren't worried about her – all of them, in fact!

"Rick, I don't mean to bring any more worries onto your plate . . ." Hershel spoke and immediately, Rick's eyes landed on his.

"What's wrong; is it one of the babies?" He asked and Hershel shook his head, a small smile appearing on his white bearded face then.

"No, thank God. All the babies are fine - they eat like horses and they sleep like rocks! It's about Tessa, though." He told him and Rick's face immediately paled.

"W-what about her – is she okay?" Hershel sighed and shook his head as he looked away.

"I suppose she is, but that doesn't stop the fact that I'm still worried about her, not just as a friend, but from a medical standpoint as well. She's melancholy now that Daryl's gone – listless and somber. If I knew any better, Rick, I'd say she was slowly dying of a broken heart and considering the fact that she's so stressed and depressed to the point to where he body is no longer making the milk she used to feed her children . . .!" He heaved a sigh and pursed his lips. Rick knew where he was going, though, and he shook his head, his eyes becoming mournful.

"I don't know what I can do about her situation, Hershel. I'm not who she wants most – who she's craving and the one man who can make her better again! You and Glenn keep _telling_ me that I need to fix this but what the _Hell _am I supposed to do?" Hershel gave a weak shrug.

"Is it so much to ask that she might need a friend? Yes, she has Wren and Beth, but they are still young girls, with the worries of young girls and their main contributions to her are helping her with the twins when she needs it. She can't relate to them – not in the way she's used to being able to relate to someone! And yes, there is Carol and Maggie too, but she's never chosen to get close to Carol and Maggie . . ." He trailed off then before heaving a sigh and continuing: "Maggie and Glenn are going through their own relationship problems for Tess to even _want _to add her own. So, really, Tessa has no one now that Lori is gone – no one her own age and who knows a semblance of what she is going through!" Hershel shook his head as he placed a gentle hand on Rick's shoulder. "I'm not telling you to sweep her off her feet, Rick – the only man that can do that is God only knows where out there! But right now, she needs a friend and considering that you do too, what is the harm in simply _talking _to each other and inquiring about how the other is doing?"

Rick stayed silent at that for a moment, allowing the older man's words to sink in and in that span of time, they heart the door to the cellblock screech open. Immediately their eyes flew to see who would step out and Hershel let out a chuckle when they saw it was Tessa, eyes squinting with the sudden light. "Speak of the Devil and he shall appear, right?" He asked him and Rick nodded numbly as Hershel turned and began making his way back to the door from whence Tessa had so recently come through, Tessa smiling and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as they moved past each other. Rick met her halfway and he answered her small smile with one of his own.

"H-How have you been?" He asked and she gave a sigh and a weak shrug.

"As good as could be, I suppose, and taking all things into consideration, that is." Rick nodded as she pinned her eyes on him.

"And what about you, Rick? How have you been?" She asked him and he opened his eyes to say that he had been fine, but he saw it flickering in her eyes – the uncertainty of how well he really was. She had been there when Rick had, had his little meltdown in front of Tyrese and Sasha's small group – the meltdown that had made four people they could desperately need, leave them. He closed his mouth then and gazed at her for a moment before shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips. She needed a friend, right? Well he supposed he did too.

"I, um . . . I'm seeing Lori, Tess."

Her eyebrows rose then, threatening to disappear into her hairline and she crossed her arms in front of her chest as drew the corner of her bottom lip in-between her teeth. "Oh . . . _really_?" She asked, her voice taking on the fake interest of someone who clearly thought you were insane, and Rick shook his head.

"Nevermind. See, this is _exactly_ why I haven't told anyone – they'd think I was insane." He spoke and Tessa grinned and shook her head.

"You're right, I don't believe you but then again, how many people can honestly see spirits?" She asked before shaking her head. "But just because I don't believe you, doesn't mean I'm not listening. Just because I'm hurting so much right now that I can barely breathe, does not mean I don't have time for a friend, Rick!" He gazed at her for a moment before nodding.

"It's . . . it's not everywhere – I'm not seeing her constantly, so you can put that worry to rest. But . . . when I least expect it or when I'm weak, like I was yesterday, she pops up. Wearing a long white dress and-and . . ." He shook his head again and placed his fingers to his temples. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Tess! Before I started hearing her, when I was in the other cellblock, the telephone rang four times and each time someone different was on the phone – Amy, Jim, Jacqui -"

"But Rick . . . Amy, Jim and Jacqui are _dead_!" Tessa reminded him slowly and he nodded, a slightly irritated look appearing on his face.

"I know that, Tess, I _know_! And then the last time, it was . . . it was Lori and I . . ." He trailed off then and Tessa heaved a sigh as she stepped closer to him, where she gazed into his eyes. He didn't look like the same Rick, which was true. He seemed paler and gaunter since Lori's death, as well as a feral-ness and fragility that were just barely masked by his control. Tessa shook her head, feeling her heart drop into her stomach. How _were_ they gonna make it? Even _if _the Governor didn't send his men to attack the prison, Rick was clearly still not in his most stable mind. And what would happen if he snapped again? Without Daryl here to seamlessly take over the reins like he had last time, who would be here to do so this time? _Glenn_?

Tessa swallowed hard, feeling herself suddenly adopt the urge to vomit. She found herself praying that either Daryl came back or Rick never stumbled again because she honestly didn't know whether Glenn could handle the reins of power if Rick fell again. Like Phaeton steering Helios' mighty chariot, she could help but feel that Glenn would crash and burn whereas Daryl, like Apollo, required the necessary strength and mindset needed to carefully steer the horses correctly in Helios' stead.

Okay, maybe not the best analogy . . .

Tessa sighed and moved closer to him, where she held his gaze unflinchingly. "Rick, I know this is possibly the last thing you want to hear, but there is _no one _there! You are simply hallucinating them and as you get better, they will slowly go away. You just . . . you need to get better - the both of us do." Rick nodded in agreement and Tessa gave another sigh as she turned her eyes onto the forest beyond the chainlink fence. She moved to step away from him but his hand reached out and caught hers. Her gaze returned to his then, eyes wide and inquiring and it was then that Rick pulled her back down, bending down slightly as he did so that their lips caught in a kiss. Tessa immediately froze but calmed down slightly when she felt Rick's arm wind around her waist. Tentatively, she kissed him back for a moment and felt . . .

. . . Absolutely nothing.

There was no liquid heat and feral wantonness in their kiss like there was whenever Daryl kissed her. Tessa did not feel the frantic urge to press herself up against him and tear off his clothes as his tongue slid into her mouth to tangle with hers like there was with Daryl. There was no tangling of the other's fingers into their hair, nor the falling to their knees because their legs could no longer support them in their desire. And even in their most chaste of kisses, those things always seemed to be there, just bubbling underneath the surface – like elements they naturally possessed together.

She didn't feel those amazingly and all-encompassing hot fireworks . . .

Finally, Tessa let out a sound of protest and immediately moved to push him away from her, one of her hands moving to splay out on his chest as the other immediately flew to her lips. She shook her head as she did so and her eyes remained on the ground underneath them. "I-I'm sorry Rick, but . . . I can't. You're not . . . Jesus Christ, you're not . . ." She trailed off then, unable to say it and Rick nodded as he stepped away from her, one of his hands moving to his hip as the fingers of the other ran over his lips.

"I'm not Daryl." He said for her and she had no choice but weakly nod.

"I'm so sorry, Rick." She told him, her voice hitching slightly with slight tears, and he shook his head.

"Don't be," He told her before giving a shrug and a weak laugh. "I don't know why I tried it anyway, maybe because I thought - _possibly_ - that I could . . ."

He trailed off then but he didn't need to say anything – Tessa knew what he wanted to say. He thought he could compare to Daryl but quite obviously he couldn't. No man in thirteen years had ever been able to compare to Daryl Dixon, why would there be someone now?

It only made her want Daryl more . . . her heart ache for him more . . .

Tessa shook her head and let out a little laugh. "Don't feel bad Rick – it's the curse of finding that one person who could very well be your soul mate, I think. No man's ever been able to compare to Daryl for thirteen long years – why would there be a man now who could do so?"

Rick nodded, in agreement or something else, she couldn't tell but it still made her uneasy. Had she unintentionally made him worse?


	52. Chapter 51

**Don't really know what to say about this chapter other than its Daryl-centered. More kickass song lyrics? I don't know - just read it XD**

**Smittendebs and HermionandMarcus: *Insert normal phrase here* ;)**

**jouetdedestin: Don't know about you, but my first kiss was awkward too. Kinda how I wanted it ;)**

**wickedclownsmile: Yay, so glad your still hanging on! Things are starting to wind down now, so don't worry, Daryl WILL be back next chapter and the next chapter WILL mark the end of the Hell Chapters. And yeah, I know, I think I gave myself cancer writing all that fluff between Ethan and Wren :)**

**HaloHunter89: Don't worry, he will. Major big time too LOL. I also do plan on having Ethan ask Daryl but I'm not sure when that's gonna come about yet, so I'm working on that. And I did want to portray that Tessa did realize what she said was wrong and most importantly I wanted to show that they both are suffering - Daryl you see in this chapter. But like I said above, Daryl WILL come back the next chapter and a lot more things are going to resolved when he does - as well a pretty fantabulous lemon too LOL. Glad you got cancer too from the Wren and Ethan fluff ;)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

_"Well, the hurt you leave behind_

_It's the hurt that's on your mind_

_Oh, and last night's show took its toll on me_

_Well the city lights fly by me_

_As I lay my body in my bed_

_Oh, and dreams of you dance through my head_

_It's a highway song_

_You sing it on and on_

_On and on_

_Highway song_

_Is as lonely_

_As the road I'm on . . ."_

_- "Highway Song" by Blackfoot_

_"Don' ya dare cop that attitude with me, boy!"_

_ "Well if ya didn' fuckin' drink tha whole damn day and didn' end up showin' ya ass -!"_

_ "Ya little piece of shit! I swear ta God, if ya weren' ma own -!"_

_ "Jus' shut tha fuck up, old man, 'cause tha' didn' stop ya while I was growin' up!"_

_ "Goddamnit, Daryl, I swear ta God I'm gonna kick ya ass -!"_

_ "Daryl, what's wrong?"_

_ "Nothin', babydoll, jus' the old man feelin' his liquor again tonight . . ."_

_ "Here let me help you get him into the house . . ."_

_ "God_damn_it, Daryl, I said _let go _of me -!"_

_ CRACK_

_ "Holy shit, Tess, I'm so sorry -!"_

_ "You _sonofabitch_!"_

_ "No, Daryl baby, it was an accident, there's no need to get pissed -!"_

_ "She didn' move! Used ta ya momma – she knew when ta move . . ."_

_ "Ya fucker -!"_

_ "DARYL, STOP!"_

_ TWACK_

_ "Oh my God, Daryl . . . what have you done . . .?"_

* * *

The dream haunted him, as did thoughts of her and their kids. They had been walking for a good day and so far, while Merle seemed to chatter incessantly on about shit that didn't matter, hardly anything else had occupied Daryl's thoughts. He wanted to say he was angry – beyond pissed at her for pushing him away, but he felt . . . nothing. He was as empty as a clay man and while he had no doubt in his mind he would be pissed off as all Hell if he was back at the prison, and that was the thing - he _wasn't _at the prison. At the prison he would have been around her – he would have been around Ethan and the twins and he could have been as blissfully angry as he wanted to be at her then because he still would have been _around _her. He still would have been able to keep a watchful eye over her unlike now. Now, all he could do was hope and pray that she and the kids were still safe.

He especially prayed.

"There ain' nothin' out here but mosquitoes and ants," He spoke, hoping like Hell that him speaking would possibly get his mind off of Tessa but once again, he was disappointingly proven wrong. Her image still hung in his head like a picture that stubbornly refused to fade and her voice and laughter hung in his ears like bad song lyrics, except they _weren't_ bad song lyrics.

Jesus Christ, listen to him. He was starting to become one of those men in those horribly cheesy romance novels that his mother and the occasional girl he had a fling with, used to read. He used to abhor them – call them anything but men, but if this was how their hurt felt whenever they were separated from their woman, then he supposed he didn't have any room to talk.

"Patience, little brother . . ." Merle spoke from his spot taking a piss on a nearby tree and Daryl gritted his teeth, finding that his brother's voice was _really _starting to grate on his nerves. He didn't know _why _he was with Merle, truthfully. Every time his mind _did _manage to wander off from Tessa and/or the kids, it became occupied with increasingly grisly, extremely bloody and painful deaths that he could do to Merle. In fact, his mind kept asking him _why _he hadn't killed the fucker yet. He had promised Tessa he would and while he kept answering back that it was because Merle - despite everything - was still family and it was harder to kill family than he had thought (although his father had been remarkably easy), he found the argument holding less and less water the more he used it.

Now he found himself saying that he wasn't close enough to Tessa to deliver on his promise of bringing her his head on a silver platter.

Not-to-mention, he didn't have a silver platter, either.

Damn.

"Sooner or later a squirrel's bound to scurry across your path." He continued on and Daryl wanted to snap back something having to do with how long it was taking him to piss compared to the days _before _the whole world went to shit, but bit back his tongue in favor of a more leveled, diplomatic answer.

"Even so, that ain' much food – not for the both of us."

Not nearly enough. One squirrel could barely feed him, let alone Merle. It took about ten to feed him, Tessa and Ethan and – oh God – a helluva lot more to feed the whole group! How had he ever managed to find enough for so long?

Oh yeah, he had Ethan . . .

Damn.

_Again_.

"It's more than nothin'." Merle answered, his back to him and Daryl was _really _starting to entertain saying that comment he thought about earlier, just to see how much it would liven things up a bit, but stopped when his mind stumbled on something.

"Ya know, I'd have better lick goin' through one of them houses we passed back on the turnoff."

"Is tha' what ya new friends taught ya . . . hmm?" He asked as he finally finished his business and righted himself before returning to his brother. He saw the look in Daryl's eyes when he joined him – the look of longing and sorrow and his lips pursed a little as he slapped a hand on his shoulder. Daryl jumped slightly and turned to face him, his face and eyes hardening slightly as he took in his brother's visage.

Wasn't exactly the prettiest thing on the face of the planet to get stuck with after Tess, he had to admit.

Tess . . .

He forced himself to tear his eyes away then as he descended into another pit of longing and Merle laughed. "How to, uh . . . _loot for booty, _so-to-speak?" He continued, giving a chuckle at his own "wit" and Daryl deigned not to answer him. He found himself drifting away a little bit and could have sworn he smelled the scent of gardenias that resolutely clung to every strand of her blue-black hair before shaking his head and looking away, reluctantly dragging himself out of the memories that he wanted so desperately to immerse himself in.

"We've been at it for hours, tha's all," He spoke, his voice quiet. "Why don' we find a stream – try to look for some fish or somethin'?"

"I think ya jus' tryin' to lead me back to the road, man," Merle replied then and continued on when Daryl didn't answer him again. "Ya know . . . get me over to tha prison."

"They got shelter . . . food and a pot to piss in – might not be a bad idea."

"It's also got Tess, too, don' it . . .?"

Merle laughed after he spoke and turned an amused gaze onto him when his brother simply ignored him. "Goddamn little brother, tha squaw's got ya all twisted up every which way, don' she? Hell, ya look every inch like our old man after he got himself some tail after months of dry-rubbin' it. Sick, puppy-love . . . is her gash really that much sweeter than I remember it bein'?"

The words snapped Daryl out of whatever daze he had willingly immersed himself in, and he seemed to level his indomitable older brother with a look of spitting fury. Before he could move – before he could make any kind of jump towards him, Merle quickly changed the subject. "For ya there will be, maybe. There ain' gonna be no damn party for me, though. There ain' gonna be no beautiful woman anxious to be fallin' into a bed with me and there ain' gonna be no damn parade of rugrats tha's gonna be rushin' me screamin' 'daddy'!"

"The twins ain' old enough for tha' and Ethan's _too _old for tha'." Daryl corrected him quietly and Merle snorted and rolled his eyes. He stood there and watched – _watched – _as his brother faded away into obscurity again. He watched as his eyes adopted that foggy gleam that told him he wasn't entirely there with him and Merle felt himself want to vomit up his scant breakfast at the sight. That was the reason he had never settled down and jerked out a few youngin's of his own like Daryl had done. He didn't want anything to _own _him – to _shackle _him - not like Tessa and their squalling brats had done to Daryl.

"They're all dead," He spoke, his voice quiet, and those words alone seemed to yank his baby brother out of the murk and the fog again. Daryl turned a much more alert gaze onto him – an almost defiant gaze. "So ya see? It makes no difference."

"What makes ya ass so sure?" He demanded and Merle shrugged.

"Right now, he's prolly hostin' a housewarmin' party where he's gonna bury what's left of ya pals," He gave another shrug then. "But Tess . . . Tess is pretty – damn near gorgeous, I think ya'd allow me to say. He prolly kept her . . . try to indoctrinate her best he could – maybe even drag Blondie in there to try and help – to make her see tha' for her sake and the sake of her children, it'd be best if she jus' accepted her new role in tha world. Hell, if all hope failed, then he'd jus' lock her up and bring her out only for special occasions – occasions where he wanted to make an example of someone or to . . . _reward _someone . . ." He trailed off then, allowing the words to sink in and when he saw Daryl tense slightly at his words, he continued. "Ethan – tha' thirteen-year-old boy of ya's – he's too grown up to be taught to be oblivious, but he's loyal to his mother. He'd try to use that against him – against the both of 'em. If tha' didn' work, he'd prolly kill him and tell her he died in the middle of somethin' and if she didn' believe him, then too bad – she wouldn' be in a position to protest. As for tha twins . . . those newborn babies of ya's?"

"What 'bout 'em?"

Merle almost recoiled at the note of alarm in Daryl's voice when he mentioned the twins and found himself almost sputtering when he spoke again. "They're young enough to where they won' remember anythin' – the prison, the group – who their mother and father are. They'd prolly be taken and handed off to some family in tha town – said they found 'em abandoned on the road somewhere or some shit like tha'. People are so . . . _cowed_ there, tha they'd believe anythin'." He spit on the ground then before moving back his deep-in-thought brother. "But enough standin' here and jabbin' - let's go catch us some fish. Come on . . ."

It took a minute before Daryl nodded and continued after him, feeling an even bigger feeling that he needed to get back to them . . . and fast.

* * *

"Hey Tess, can I . . . can I talk to you about something?"

Tessa looked up from the prison plans she had been going over with Carl in the common room, her eyebrows rising in interest, especially when she saw Maggie hanging awkwardly on the fringes of her space. Tessa immediately nodding, straightening up at she did so and placed a hand on Carl's shoulder.

"Yeah, sure; Carl, I'll be right back okay?" She told him and he nodded as she then gestured for Maggie to follow her. The younger woman nodded and followed her as Tessa moved up the stairs to the second floor, where she then moved into the guard office, closing the door behind them. Maggie's eyebrows furrowed at the lack of the twins and Tessa nodded to the common room. "Wren and Beth are outside with them – giving them some air and sunshine. What do you need?"

Maggie stood there for a minute, still a little awkwardly and when she spoke, Tessa could see what she was about to ask took a lot of courage. "When you . . . when Merle raped you, how did you deal?"

Tessa immediately felt like the question had slapped her across the face and while she knew with every ounce of conviction in her body that Maggie had not meant the question to be an insult, it nonetheless took her aback. She stood there for a minute, gaping for an answer and when she finally found her voice to speak, it was unsure at first.

"I . . . at-at first, I didn't - I-I _couldn't_! I didn't think Daryl would believe me, let alone listen to me and . . . and being around Merle every day made it damn near impossible for me to move on, on my own."

"And that's why you left?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing in some indefinable emotion, and Tessa nodded as her tongue darted out to lick at her lower lip.

"Yeah, that's when I left. And once I was gone and once I married Sam and had Ethan, dealing just . . . became easier. Everything about the farm back in Shooter's Mill and even the town itself, just made it impossible to move on – there were too many bad memories. But once I was on the reservation and once I was married and had Ethan, it was almost like . . . dealing came naturally. I wasn't around that bad shit anymore – I had people I could actually talk to about it and who were supportive," She shrugged. "Dealing is easier when you have someone you can talk to," Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is this about what happened in Woodbury?" She asked and Maggie hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Y-yeah . . . Glen wants to talk about it."

"_But_ . . .?" Tessa gently prodded and Maggie shrugged as the both of them took seats on the nearby bunk.

"But . . . but there's nothing to it, Tess! I don't _want _to talk about it – I think that's how I can deal – by _not _acknowledging it ever happened – not to _him_, anyway!" Tessa nodded slowly as she continued: "And really, nothing happened – not like what happened to you! He just came in and made me get naked and stand in front of him. He came up behind me and pushed himself against me and he put his hands all over me . . . he slammed my head down and bent me over a table – but it wasn't like he actually _did _anything!" She sighed then. "I had a choice, Tessa. I could take off my shirt or he would take off one of Glenn's hands. And I had _just _listened to Merle beat the shit out of him in the other room, so what was I supposed to do?"

"Maggie . . ." Tessa began but for a moment couldn't find the words she needed, so she stayed silent for a moment. When she finally found her words, she swallowed hard and began again. "Maggie, I know what you're feeling. This instinct to clam up – to-to _not _talk about it – I've felt it! Hell, I _lived _it for a good three months after it happened! And let me tell you, that was Hell – walking around, _being _around Daryl but not wanting to tell him anything . . ." She shook her head sorrowfully. "Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have felt the need to have left. Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have walked away pregnant and this whole entire shitstorm wouldn't have happened. Granted, it's some pretty big 'ifs' but they're still 'ifs', nonetheless. Point of the story, though . . ." She reached over and took Maggie's hand then. "You _need_ to talk to him, Maggie. You might think that clamming up about this is good, but it's not, honey, it's not! You _think _it is, but then you realize it's not and you feel trapped and you end up . . ."

"Walking away . . ." Maggie completed for her, her voice quiet and Tessa gave her a thankful look and nodded.

"Yeah . . . you end up walking away." Maggie nodded then as she looked down at her hands in her lap.

"It's just . . . I feel like . . . I feel like Glenn wants to talk about it more for _his_ benefit than for mine – so that he slim possibility remains in his mind that nothing happened to me so that he can go on continuing to think that he is the only man who has ever touched me since this whole thing began – which is _far_ from the truth, let me tell you!" Maggie finished what she was saying with a roll of her eyes and Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in slight interest.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked and Maggie adopted a stricken look on her face for a moment before biting down on her bottom lip.

"I . . . haven't exactly been faithful to Glenn since we left the farm. Granted, it only happened _once _with _one _guy, but _still . . ._"

"With who?" Tessa couldn't help but ask with a grin and Maggie blushed a little as she shot her a slight smile look.

"Promise you won't tell?" She asked and Tessa rolled her eyes and good-naturedly threw up her hands in the air.

"Maggie, sweetie, you know my biggest secret already! And since I doubt Glenn has the balls to go around the group telling everyone that Merle raped me, consider this leverage in case you ever feel the inexplicable need to." She told her with a wink and Maggie laughed as she turned her eyes down onto her hands for a moment.

"You, uh . . . you remember those two guys who showed up at the hotel that one day and who spent about a week with us 'cause that blizzard happened?" Tessa continued to grin.

"You mean the two cowboys?"

Maggie blushed and nodded. "Yeah . . . those two . . ."

Tessa couldn't help but grin. "Oh God, Maggie, which one of them was it?"

"The tall one with the short brown hair and who built oh so _amazingly _well?" Maggie couldn't help but allow a grin to appear on her face then in remembrance. "Drew Carter, I think his name was? He was from Texas – go figure, right? – and had managed to come all the way over here to Georgia with his brother – the guy that was with him – to see if their family here was doing okay," She shrugged then and bit down on her bottom lip. "We, uh . . . stumbled into each other one night when the both of us couldn't sleep and eventually, one thing led to another and . . ." She shrugged. "We ended up having a week long affair. It ended when he and his brother left and strangely, I've never missed him. Drew was just . . . almost like getting a breath of fresh air – experiencing something new, ya know? I found myself appreciating Glenn more – appreciating how stable he is, stuff like that. Drew was just -"

"One Hell of a good roll around in the sheets?" Tessa grinned and Maggie shot her a look then, a look that barely managed to keep the grin off. Eventually, she nodded and Tessa let out a bark of a laugh.

"Believe it or not, I figured something like that. Me and Daryl would lay awake some nights after we would, ya know . . . _finish_ too - and I remember him saying something along the lines of, 'Damn, I never knew Glenn could go tha' long' or some other dumb, crude and somehow hilarious quip like that," She nodded then, her grin fading down to a smile as she nodded. "But now I know . . . it was you and Drew all along for that week . . ."

Maggie nodded as she turned a pleading look up onto her. "Yes, it was, but promise me you won't say anything, Tess! If my father ever figured out that I cheated on Glenn, even though it was with _one guy_, he would shit a brick and we _all _know what Glenn would do if he knew!" She told her, her voice pleading with her to stay mum and Tessa grinned and laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"What did I just tell you, Maggie? If I ever decide to tell anyone about your little semi-frequent, week long romps with the delicious Drew Carter, then I hereby give you every permission in the book to tell everyone about what Merle did to me," She gave her another wink then. "And Hell, who am I to take away a girl's amazing memories?"

* * *

"Smells to me like Sawhatchee Creek."

"Naw, we didn' go west enough. There's a river down there – it's gotta be the Yellow Jacket."

"Ya have a stroke, boy? We ain' even come close to tha' Yellow Jacket."

"We didn' go west. Jus' a little bit south. Tha's what I think, anyway."

"Know what I think? I may have lost my hand, but ya lost ya sense of direction. Did Tess take tha' too along with ya balls?"

"Merle, I swear ta God -!"

"If I don' shut up - yeah, yeah, I know. Ya wanna bet?"

"I don' wanna bet nothin'. Its jus' a damn body of water. Why does everythin' got to be a competition with ya?"

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy little brother! I'm jus' tryin' to have a little fun here – no need to get ya panties all in a bundle. And besides, I gotta make sure ya not _too _bored out here, what will Tessa not here to cradle your balls anymore."

"Goddamnit, Merle . . ."

Merle grinned when his voice came out laced with a sigh. It seemed like they were finally getting somewhere – a little closer to being back to normal.

"Wait, ya hear that?"

"Yeah, it's just wild animals gettin' a little wild."

"No, it's a baby."

"Oh come on! Why don' ya piss in ma ear and tell me it's raining, too?"

"Look, ya ass – I've had to listen to the sounds of cryin' babies for the last month with my twins – Hell, my body's still tuned to _react_ whenever I hear one cryin'! And that right there – _that _is the sound of a baby cryin'!"

"No, ya crazy. That sound right there is the sound of coons making love, sweet love, ya know what I mean? Of course ya do – ya've been gettin' it goin' out of style, haven' ya? Hell, Tess's been doin' _more _than cradling ya balls, hasn' she? Mmm, mmm, _mmm_ – ain' she jus' finger lickin' _good_ -!?"

"_Merle_, I swear to _God_ that ya 'bout to get a bolt in ya head!"

* * *

Actually . . . fuck the bolt.

Daryl let out another loud yell of rage as he slammed Merle's head into the nearby tree. With how many times he's slammed the man's head into the nearest flat surface in the past two days, he was surprised the man wasn't suffering from brain damage. Hell, it was probably a testament to how thick the skulls of Will Dixon's sons were.

It had all started when Daryl pointed his crossbow at him to get him out of the car of the family they had just saved once they tracked down the sounds of the baby's cries. Once the family had safely driven off, Daryl realized that his place wasn't with his pig of a brother (in fact, he had known it a long time ago) but with his family at the prison (if they still wanted him, that was) and had marched off into the woods in a huff in the general direction of the prison. Merle came marching in after him a few minutes later, anger brimming in his body too.

"Tha shit ya doin' pointin' tha' thing at me?" He demanded and Daryl shook his head.

"They were scared, man."

"They were rude is what they were. They were rude and they owed us a token of gratitude." Merle replied and Daryl let out a disgusted scoff as he rolled his eyes.

"They didn' owe us nothin'."

"What is with ya – helpin' people out of the goodness of ya heart and even though ya might die doin' it? Is tha' somethin' ya Sheriff Rick taught ya?"

"There was a damn baby!" He snapped, whirling around, his anger bubbling and Merle let out a laugh.

"Oh, so it was the damn deddy in ya comin' out then! Did ya see one of ya squallin' brats in there – is tha' why ya helped? Hell, did tha woman even look like Tess a little? Did ya think of Tess and one of ya squallin' brats?"

Daryl didn't answer for a minute and when he finally spoke, it was after he realized what the root of all Merle's hostility towards him stemmed from. "Look, man, I went back for ya and ya weren' there! I wasn' exactly the one who cut off ya hand either. Ya did that! – _way _before they locked ya up on that roof. Hell, if ya ask me, ya asked for it!"

Merle laughed then although Daryl could see that he was quickly growing as angry as he felt at that moment. "Ya know – ya know what's funny to me?" He asked. "Ya and Sheriff Rick as close as two peas in a pod and I bet you a penny and a pot of gold tha' we were plannin' on robbin' tha' camp blind, were ya?"

"It didn' happen."

"Yeah, it didn' – 'cause I wasn' there to help ya!" He gave a grin and a laugh then. "And let's not even _discuss_ Tess and those three squallin' brats of ya's! Daryl's teeth gritted in anger.

"Actually, yeah, let's discuss 'em – _right _here, _right _now! 'Cause it ain' like when we were kids, Merle! Ya left me then and when ya come back and ya see that I have a girl – a damn good-_lookin'_ girl that absolutely _pisses you off_ that I got instead of ya, ya can' deal and ya go and fuckin' rape her! What the fuck was with that, ya piece of shit, huh?" He swallowed hard and his eyes blazed with anger. "I lost thirteen potentially Goddamn good years of my life 'cause of ya fuckin' piece of shit ass! And right now – right now, I'm wondering why the _Hell _I haven't put a Goddamn bullet through your head!"

"Ya really wanna know what the whole deal behind that was, speakin' its lookin' like ya ain' gonna let it go?" Merle asked and Daryl pursed his lips and nodded. The older Dixon gritted his teeth then as he spoke. "The little tease _deserved _it! Walkin' 'round tha' farm, shakin' that tight little ass in those daisy dukes of hers and those luscious fuckin' tits of her 'bout to pop out of whatever top she was wearin' - and brother, let me tell ya - half the time, she wasn' wearin' those daisy dukes and those tops - half the time she was wearin' one of those short Indian lookin' dresses that weren' much better, let me tell ya! There was also that _infectious_ damn grin of hers! And it jus' seemed so _Goddamn _unfair that ya were the only one she saw - tha' ya were the only one those infectious grins were reserved for and yeah, I admit, I might have done it 'cause I was _jealous_ of ya, but _Jesus Christ_, Daryl, wouldn' ya be too?"

It was then, as he allowed the words to sink into his mind, that Daryl said 'fuck the bolt'. It was then, as he gritted his teeth and snapped a enraged 'fuck you' that almost immediately had Merle lunging at him - a lunge that he expertly sideswiped before grabbing his head and throwing him into the tree, that his vision started to turn red, the edges dangerously laced with black. It was then, as they threw the meanest kicks and punches at each other that they ever had, that Daryl's shirt ripped and everything seemed to go silent. Merle got to his feet and stumbled backwards a little, his eyes unable to leave the mean scars that littered his back – the scars that Daryl allowed no one but Tessa to see. Silently, in shock, Merle shook his head.

"I-I didn' know he was -" He began and Daryl shook his head as he got to his feet and swung his back over his shoulder, wincing at the bruises that were probably forming over his body.

"Yeah, ya did. He did the same to ya. That's why ya left first." He told him and Merle nodded.

"I had to, man. I would have killed him otherwise." He told him and Daryl let out a cruel, bark of a laugh as he got to his feet and turned around to face him.

"See, funny thing about that - I _did _end up killin' the spiteful bastard. Didn' know that, did ya?" He shook his head then, letting out another laugh at the stunned look on his brother's face. "Yup . . . and I killed him for that _woman _that ya raped and that woman who bore me three children and who I _stupidly _left for _ya _ass!" He shook his head again, his eyes growing stony. "I don' know why I haven' killed ya ye - especially after what ya jus' told me and even after I promised Tess that I would the next time I see ya. I like to think it's 'cause ya my brother and ya family while that might be true, I'm here to tell ya that if ya even _think _'bout touchin' her again - if ya even _think _that she _deserves _it, again, I _will _act on all those disgustingly bloody fuckin' daydreams of killin' ya that I've been havin' for the past two days!"

"Where are ya goin'?" Merle demanded when Daryl spun around on his heels then and headed off walking again. He stopped and turned to face him.

"Back where I belong – to ma family - to Tess and my son and my twins!" He shook his head. "Back to where I _should _be! Now I jus' gotta hope that the one woman I can' live without, still loves me enough to think 'bout takin' me back."


	53. Chapter 52

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't update in a few days - had a very busy, very tiring weekend. But I'm home now and updating should be back on schedule. There is also the muchly anticipated lemon in this chapter, which means - ladies and gentlemen, the Hell Chapters are officially over *throws confetti in the air and cheers* You are welcome ;)**

**Maddy-MarieXO - That review made me laugh so hard - thanks for that XD**

**Smittendebs and HermionandMarcus - Thanks for the reviews - you'll get Merle's reaction to the kids a little bit in this chapter :)**

**HaloHunter89 - I do plan on Merle reacting a little bit more to Daryl and their dad thing, as well as Ethan and him having a little discussion about Merle and Tessa. Haven't figured out how to go about that yet, but it will come. :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

When Hershel called Glenn back from the truck that afternoon, Ethan thought his friend was going to rear back and punch him. But he didn't and as Ethan hurried to catch up with the both of them, he heard Hershel ask him – in his infinitely gentle voice – if he was going back to Woodbury. Glenn didn't answer for a moment before he shook his head.

"No . . . I'm just going out there."

"Cool, man, I'll go with you." Ethan hurried to suggest, causing Hershel to shoot him a thankful look, and Glenn shook his head again as he turned back towards the truck.

"No, I got it."

"By yourself?" Hershel immediately asked, another question that stopped Glenn almost literally in his track. "How can you possibly begin to think that's a good idea?"

"I can't just sit on my hands!" Glenn told him, his voice determinedly level and Hershel gave him a slightly stern look.

"You went on a simple formula and groceries run and got the crap beat of you, Maggie attacked and Tessa done God only knows what to!"

Ethan flinched at the words and Glenn noticed but chose not to say anything. He instead, swallowed heavily as he replied to Hershel. "Are you saying that this is my fault?" Glenn asked, a note of disbelief in his voice and Hershel shook his head.

"No -"

"I did what I could!"

"Look, Glenn, we know that!" Ethan spoke next, his hand outstretched to him slightly. "And so does Maggie and momma and everyone else!" Glenn closed his eyes and shook his head as Hershel nodded.

"Maggie is one of the two people most precious to me in this world and Tessa is Ethan and the twin's mother. She means more to him than anyone else here!" Hershel spoke. "I trust you with Maggie's life and Daryl wouldn't have trusted you with Tessa's life if he didn't think you couldn't have done what you could!" Ethan looked away at the mention of his father and both noticed but didn't address it. Hershel continued on, though. "I still do. This rage, though, is going to get you killed." Glenn sighed then and turned back to face them.

"With Daryl gone and Rick wandering around Crazytown, I'm the next in charge," He spoke, his eyes flitting from Hershel to Ethan and back again. Hershel said nothing while Ethan simply adopted a look of hesitation on his face as Glenn turned back around and headed for the truck.

"What are you proving?" Hershel called after a moment and this time, Glenn didn't stop. He continued on to the truck and got inside, not choosing to give them another moment to shout something else at him. They stood there and watched as Carl opened the gate for him and he drove out before switching their attention onto Rick wandering down outside the fence by the creek. Ethan shook his head as he shouldered his rifle better – the rifle that used to be Daryl's when he wasn't handling the crossbow.

"Hershel, Glenn's my friend, but this is why I wish deddy was back," He told him, shaking his head. "Glenn can't handle this and Rick needs someone capable to take over until he gets better." Hershel's eyebrows rose as he turned to gaze down at him.

"And what if Daryl doesn't come back?" He asked him and Ethan stood there for a moment before shaking his head and turning back towards the cellblock.

"I don't want to think about that because I don't make a habit of thinking about me and momma and Wren and the twins dying."

* * *

"Daryl – I got you!" Merle shouted as he took aim at the walker towering over his little brother, where he pulled the trigger. They had heard the gunshots when they were nearing the prison and had rushed to the group's aid, only to get there when a large truck slammed through the chainlink fence and spilled walkers into the grassy prison yard. That was when Daryl majorly picked up the speed in his desperation to get to the group and protect his family, to the point to where Merle had lost him for a minute. He was glad that he found him now, wrestling with a walker.

He felt the trigger give way underneath his finger as the gun went off and the walker flew backwards as his rotted brains exploded everywhere, Daryl cringing down slightly so that the majority of the walker wouldn't get on him. Merle let out a sigh of relief as he lowered the pistol but it wasn't until the person straightened up, the bright sun falling onto his raven black hair and absent a black crossbow, that Merle realized he hadn't saved Daryl's life. It wasn't until the person looked up questionably in his direction, Dixon blue eyes wide with confusion, that he realized that he hadn't saved Daryl – that he had only saved someone who looked very much alike his little brother - someone who was a dark-skinned carbon copy of him.

"Holy . . ."

"Shit . . ." Ethan finished for him, breathless, his eyes growing wide when he realized who it was who had saved him.

"Ethan!"

The both of them turned around when they saw Tessa running towards him and immediately latch onto him, where she pulled him in the direction of the cellblock. "Come on – we got to go inside -!"

"Momma, wait!"

"What the fuck is there to wait about?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing in angry confusion and Ethan shook his head as he stood his ground and turned back around to face Merle. Tessa's eyes followed his and she immediately froze, her eyes growing wide with horror when she saw him standing there. Merle grinned and laughed as he held out his arms to her.

"Hey, Tess – lookin' good there, sweet-pea!"

Tessa's teeth gritted in both anger and slight fear as her grip on her son tightened. "_Merle_ . . ." She hissed then, her eyes full of anger and her body practically thrumming with it. Ethan swallowed hard as he glanced at her.

"Momma, is this -?"

"Hell yeah, kid – I'm ya uncle Merle!" He told him, that same shit-eating grin on his face, and Tessa shook her head.

"If you're here, then that means -"

"Tessa!"

Ethan grinned when he saw Daryl moving quickly up through the chain-linked aisle towards them, Rick by his side. "Momma, deddy's back!"

Tessa nodded slowly, her eyes pinned on Merle as Daryl ran up to them. He swept her up in a tight hug, but she barely registered it. Her hands landed numbly on his shoulders but that went as far as she went registering that he was actually holding her. Her gaze was still pinned on Merle's slightly smirking face and she shook her head as he gently set her down on her feet, her teeth gritting again.

"Daryl, what the fuck's he doing here?" She demanded but before he or Merle could answer, there was a flurry of black in the corner of her eye running at Daryl. Her attention immediately snapped onto him and widened when she saw the flurry of black was Ethan. However, instead of running into his arms in a fierce hug like she suspected, he adopted a look of anger on his face as he lunged at him.

"You bastard . . . you _motherfucking bastard_!"

Everyone watched in slight shock as Daryl simply nodded and just stood there, his lips pursing and his teeth gritting in an undefinable emotion as Ethan began punching him repeatedly on the chest for a minute, as hard as the boy could possibly punch, which, granted, felt like mosquito bites compared to the punches Daryl had suffered in his early life and very recently. But more than anything, he wanted so much to just pull his son into his arms and apologize to him as much as he was allowed to. However, he knew that Ethan would never allow him do it, just like now, as Tessa slowly realized he was back, that she wouldn't let him hug her for a very long time. "You fuckin' left us – how could ya do that?!"

"Ethan, baby, stop . . . it wasn't entirely his fault . . ."

Tessa's gentle voice broke through the tense silence between the two as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, where she gently brought him off of him. Daryl and Ethan glanced at her, saw the softness in her eyes and Ethan nodded as he moved away from his father. Daryl swallowed hard and shook his head. "Ethan, kid, come here -"

"Get the _fuck_ away from me!" He snapped as he threw away his father's arms. Rage speared through his Dixon blue eyes as he crossed his arms stubbornly and a little insecurely in front of his chest then – a movement that had Daryl pursing his lips again as he nodded. He saw Merle smirking from a little ways behind him and knew that there was a sarcastic little quip simmering just underneath the surface of his brother's skin but he managed to hold it back.

Tessa turned a slightly expressionless gaze onto him then as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, he's just -!" Tessa began but was interrupted by Ethan shaking his head and moving forward, where he threw his arms around Daryl's middle in a tight hug. Daryl chuckled for a minute before he tightly wrapped his arms around his son in turn. He wanted to childishly stick his tongue out at Merle when he saw the scowl that immediately crossed his face but passed it by when he felt Ethan shake his head as tears began streaming down his cheeks.

"Why did ya leave us? Ya had me so worried – ya had _everyone _so worried! And then momma, she was hopeless without ya . . ." He trailed off then and Daryl nodded as Tessa looked down at the ground.

_Yeah, well, Ethan, I was pretty hopeless without her too . . ._

"It doesn' matter why I left, Ethan, but I'm here now and I ain' ever leavin' again – I fuckin' promise ya that!" He promised him, his eyes holding Tessa's the entire time he spoke the words, and Ethan nodded as they broke apart, trying vainly to wipe away any stray tears before his father could see them.

"Good . . . good, 'cause I don' think this group can cut it without ya. I don' think _we _can cut it without ya!" He told him, the quip aimed mainly at Glenn and Rick and the two men looked away as well as Daryl shot him a small smile before turning to Tessa. She had crossed her arms in front of her chest by then and she swallowed hard when he approached her.

"Hey . . ."

"H-Hey . . ."

The words were awkward – not at all like they used to be whenever they greeted each other after an absence, and after a minute, Daryl heaved a sigh. He knew she wasn't about to forgive him (in fact, he'd be worried if she did) and he knew she wasn't _about _to touch him, but there was one thing he could do – one thing that he had _wanted _to do since he left.

"Can I . . . can I see ma twins, Tess?" He asked her, his voice hopeful and slightly scared and Tessa flinched violently at the words before immediately nodding.

"Of-of course you can! Come on - Wren and Beth should be watching them." She told him and he nodded as she took his hand and pulled him in the direction of the cellblock, her fingers entwining with his as she moved. It was a small movement – one Hell of a small movement, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't take it and revel in it.

They entered the cellblock then and Tessa made an immediate beeline for the cells, however, she felt herself being held back by Daryl mid-way there. She turned a questioning look onto him but he shook his head and instead nodded towards the other door that led to the other areas of the cellblock. Tessa's knew her face paled then, and her heart begin to pound away in her chest but she nodded nonetheless and allowed him to pull her through the door. It creaked open and then clanged shut behind them and she allowed him to walk through empty corridor after empty corridor, his senses tuned in to the slightest sound that could tip a walker off to him. When finally, they reached an abandoned common room, he led her inside and after quickly checking to make sure they were alone, he returned to her, nodding.

"Okay, go on . . ."

Tessa's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion as she stood there and simply gazed at him. "Daryl, what are you talking about?" She asked him and he gave an impatient sigh and a roll of his eyes as he gestured to him.

"Come on – yell at me, Tess! Scream bloody murder at me; tell me ya hate me and that ya never want to see me again – I know ya want to!" He shook his head. "I left ya, Tess – somethin' I never should have done, I know that now! I'm just waitin' for ya to explode at me like ya've been wantin' to do – like ya _deserve_!"

She shook her head, a slightly amazed look appearing on her face then. "You think . . . you think that _I_ should be the one to yell right now?" She asked and he stood there, gazing at her dumbly for a moment before she gave a laugh and shook her head. "Daryl, I didn't exactly give you a reason to stay, you know! In fact, I did just the opposite! I _pushed _you away because I was insecure – because I didn't think – for some fucked up reason - that you would stay to begin with! And I gave you the _one_ ultimatum that I should _never_, in a million years have given you and I . . . I . . ." She shook her head then, tears brimming in her eyes. "Here I am, saying that I love you and yet, I was coldhearted enough to tell you _that _– that you would never see your children again if you left because I was so damn afraid that you would go if I didn't give you one!" She bit down on her bottom lip as a tear ran down her cheek. She shook her head again. "I'm sorry Daryl . . . I'm _so _sorry!"

"Yeah, well, I ain' exactly completely innocent either, ya know!" He told her with a slightly mournful look in his eyes. "Ya might have pushed me away, but _I _was the one who decided to walk in the end, Tess! I left ya alone with the kids – with everythin' that just happened and I . . . Hell, _I _don' think I could ever forgive myself for doin' it – I don' expect ya ever to! I should have stayed with ya despite what ya said – I should have said 'fuck ya' to Merle and got in that car with ya, especially after I had fought tooth and nail to get to ya in the first place!" He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Good Lord, I should have done so many things except walk!"

Tessa nodded as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So you . . . you came back?" She asked and he nodded.

"I couldn't stay away, Tess," He told her as he made his way slowly over to her, shaking his head as he did so. "I couldn't stay away from you, our amazingly talented son . . . our beautiful, _beautiful _twins . . ." She smiled a watery smile up at him and Daryl smiled as he pulled her into his arms. She allowed him to and eventually, her arms moved to wrap around him. She wanted to ask about Merle – what they were going to do with him but at that moment, she didn't care. She had him back and that was all that mattered to her.

* * *

Daryl couldn't help but grin later that evening when he entered the common room and immediately noticed Aayla struggling slightly in Carol's arms. They were sitting beside Tessa, who in turn was holding a rather drowsy Danny, and the woman immediately grinned when she saw the father of her children enter the room. "Uh oh Carol - Papa Bear's here! You know he's gonna want to demand his daughter from you – especially speaking he hasn't seen her in a long time!" She announced when he entered, and Daryl shot her a playfully imperious look as Carol grinned and automatically got her feet, where she made her way over to him.

_"We can't call her sweetpea, anymore, Daryl."_

_"Why not?"_

_"Merle . . . he calls me sweet-pea."_

_"Well then, we'll just have to find her another name, won't we? She seems like she's a deddy's girl, so how about Huntress? My little Huntress Aayla . . .?"_

"Damn right I am, Tess! She's my little Huntress, ain' she?" He asked her with a wink, and Tessa laughed and indulgently shook her head as Daryl slid his arm under Aayla when Carol handed her to him, expertly cradling her from head to bottom in one fell swoop. Pulling her against his chest, he swept the towel off of Carol's shoulder to toss over his own. When he did so, it was almost as if he had hit a switch. In her father's arms, Aayla immediately settled down, a soft grunt and sigh releasing from her lips as she pressed her face into the towel hanging over his shoulder. Daryl grinned as he began gently bouncing her. "Oh yeah, ya gonna be a deddy's girl like I thought, ain' ya?" He cooed lovingly and Carol and Tessa grinned and shook their heads in slight awe as they gazed at them.

"It's amazing . . .!" Carol spoke, her eyes wide with the same emotion that echoed in her voice and Tessa nodded.

"Ain't it though? She's been fussy all afternoon – ever since she woke up from her nap, in fact. She slept through the entire attack too – her and Danny. We didn't know what was wrong with her." She informed him and Daryl shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, what's wrong with ya, woman? She knew her deddy was back and all she wanted was jus' me! Ya should have called for me!" He added and it was then that Tessa stood and made her way over to them.

"You were on watch and I didn't feel like hearing it from Rick if we distracted you after this attack – even _if_ the reasoning was your child that you haven't seen for a couple of days. I'm heading up, though - you want me to take her?" She offered with a grin as she shifted Danny to her other arm, and Daryl made a dismissive face as she quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "Daryl, honey, you've been on watch for hours since you got back and before then, who knows how long you've been up! You look exhausted!"

He shook his head again, more stubbornly. "Nah, I got her. Ya headed up to bed?" He asked as he brushed a bit of Tessa's hair back behind her ear and she nodded and smiled, her gaze softening.

"I am, if you don't mind getting her to sleep while I tend to Danny. He's been a little colicky and I want to stay up with him just a little longer to make sure it's nothing."

Daryl shook his head as he continued to bounce his daughter in his arms – his little Huntress Aayla. "Nope – I don't mind it at all!" He spoke cheerfully and Tessa immediately broke out into a loving grin.

"You'll have her to sleep before I can even get under the covers, I swear to God!" She teased as she bumped her hip into his. He returned the grin as he bent down and pressed a loving kiss to her lips before pressing the same to Danny's forehead. He grinned as he broke away.

"I'll just hang onto her 'till I feel like goin' up to bed. I'm still awake, so give me half an hour to settle down. Hell, I'll even take Danny up too if ya want – let ya get some uninterrupted sleep . . .?" Tessa shook her head and continued to grin as she ran a loving hand down her son's downy black hair.

"No, like I said, he's been a little colicky and I just want to make sure he's okay," Her eyes flashed good-naturedly then as she turned them onto Daryl holding their daughter. "I swear to God, though, Daryl Dixon, that you're gonna end up spoilin' her if ya don't put her down for at least five minutes a damn day!"

Daryl grinned. "That's the plan, babydoll! I plan on spoilin' both of them but especially my little Huntress here."

"That's what Deddies do . . ." Merle confirmed as Tessa and Daryl turned to gaze at where he was standing by the far wall watching the entire scene. Tessa's face immediately fell and Daryl pursed his lips slightly. Her hand fell on his chest and Daryl turned his eyes back down onto her. Her eyes were soft even though her gaze was expressionless and for a minute, he stopped bouncing Aayla.

"Come up as fast as you can, okay? I . . . I don't want her staying up too late, ya know?" She told him and he nodded and watched her go as she turned around and headed up to the guard office, her body softly swaying to some invisible beat that moved in tandem with her gentle shushes in her effort to get their son to sleep.

He knew he said this a lot, but he had never seen her so beautiful than at that moment, beautiful curves swaying as their tired son wearily fisted a small, pudgy hand in her ebony colored locks. He heard Merle whistle behind him but shook his head as he shot Carol a smile before following after her.

"Shut the fuck up, Merle."

* * *

"Hey, didn't expect you to be up this early."

"Yeah, I know, but Aayla was startin' to fall asleep, so I figured I mine-as-well bring her on up." Daryl spoke as he closed the door behind him with his foot, a now sleeping Aayla being cradled against his shoulder, and Tessa smile as he bent down and placed her in the cradle alongside her soundly sleeping brother. "We really got to get 'em a crib or somethin'." He sighed with a shake of his head as he gazed down at them for a minute, and she nodded in agreement.

"We do. We'll make a run when all this is settled." She told him and he shot her a look, one that she could decipher and after a minute, she firmly placed her hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn and look at her. "Daryl, if you want, I'll only do runs with you," She told him, her voice small but steady. "I know this . . . I don't want this to happen again, you know? And, with how much shit this has stirred up, I can't help but feel like -!"

And all of a sudden, she was interrupted by his hands in her hair and his lips were crashing down onto hers. His tongue was in her mouth and her hands were at his neck and her body was responding to his with a deep-seated thrum. She wanted to sing out in joy when she felt the fireworks immediately explode between them – the warmth from his body flooding into hers, causing her body to flush with the heat. They were both futile to the desires of their bodies and Tessa couldn't help but moan wantonly into his mouth as his hands framed her face and his tongue plundered her mouth, their breathing coming out harsh and wanton through their noses. Her kiss with Rick had been nothing like this and thank God it hadn't! She only wanted to have this kind of reaction with Daryl.

His hands were wounding along her sides to cross over her back, pulling her deeper into his kiss and making that fear go away. Daryl's embrace was protective – it was warm – and God help her for not being able to remain angry at him, but she wanted it . . . she wanted _him_!

The sounds of clinking metal from Daryl's belt and the swishing of clothes as they undressed each other filled the air and then, his lips were on her neck and her throat, suckling at the pulsepoint on her throat and everywhere he could reach and when he framed her face with his hands and pressed his lips to hers again, it was as soft and loving as ever.

"I love ya . . . oh God above, do I love ya, Tess!" He murmured and she bit down on her bottom lip before kissing him again.

"I know you do Daryl, so stop talking about it and show me!" She breathed, and he grinned as his arm hooked around her waist and he brought her gently down onto the bed. Grinning, they kissed again, Tessa's hands cradling his face as he pulled her underneath him, his hands on her thighs, on her waist and hips – running over the smooth skin his fingers had been itching to touch every moment of his life for the past two months.

She gasped out in slight pain at the soreness when he first entered her, every inch of his soul screaming out at the same time. The soreness gradually went away to be replaced with soft moans and sighs and the other's name that built steadily on their lips until they were forced to run over, filled the air around them as they made love - sweet, beautiful love.

Her hands trailed through his hair, clenching and yanking, causing him to growl slightly against her shoulder, her neck, her cheek. Hands grasped her thighs, her hips, her breasts and in-between them, where their bodies were joined together so intimately; they teased her and made her end come faster . . . it was rushing towards her now – blinding her -

And when his hips suddenly stilled in-between hers, his eyes squeezing shut and his teeth gritting together as his pleasure overtook him in a strangled groan, so did hers in a breathless moan. His name left her lips like a foreign word, creating a taste on her tongue that was different but one she did not find wholly unappetizing. The feeling of intensity that ran through both of their bodies caused the world to spin around them - the colors to brighten like an acid trip and the furniture to disappear along with Daryl for a moment.

And when she opened her eyes, she saw the stars in his eyes . . . the beautiful stars . . .

And then she realized . . . they were just mere reflections of her own.


	54. Chapter 53

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while but I haven't had much inspiration to write lately - in anything, not just my fanfics - so I apologize for that. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it, even though not a lot's happening. There is Daryl and Tessa's fluff in the beginning, though, as well as Rick being awkward around him and Tessa now that Daryl IS back, as well as Tessa putting the 'roar' in I-Am-Den-Mother-Hear-Me-Roar. **

**Oh yeah, and Glenn gets bitch slapped. Yup, pretty productive chapter :)**

**HaloHunter89 - Oh yeah, I do plan on Merle getting hella jealous. Whether or not that makes his death come to him quicker, remains to be seen, but yes, that will be an excuse for me to write a huge spot of dramatics one chapter . . . or two . . . or three ;). I also haven't had Merle formerly meet the twins yet, as well as Ethan (kinda, but not really) so stayed tuned for that. Glad you so excited! :)**

**Smittendebs, HermionandMarcus and wickedclownsmile - *insert what I always say here* ;))**

**Maddy-MarieXO - Yeeeeaaaahhh, sorry for that LOL. I did originally plan on Tessa being angry at him for a long time but for the sake of, I don't know . . for the sake of length, I decided against it. I'm already writing this by the episode, so I didn't exactly know long I would want to draw that out, not-to-mention how he would regain her trust back and all that jazz. It just seemed more trouble than it was worth lol.**

* * *

Daryl woke up that next morning to the best feeling in the entire world – Tessa in his arms and the smell of her hair filling his nose. Her naked body felt so warm and right spooned up against his and for a moment - a blissful, all-encompassing moment - he was content to simply lay there and relish and revel in something that he hadn't had for so damn long. Eventually, though, he had to shift slightly to get rid of the pins and needles that darted along his side for staying in the same position conscious for so long and when he did, he heard Tessa chuckle.

"I wondered when you would finally wake up." Her voice came out quiet and slightly amused as the early morning sunlight filtered in through the window high above them, letting Daryl know just how early it really was. Vaguely, they heard one of the twins heave a sigh as they continued to sleep in their cradle not that far away from them and Daryl couldn't help but grin.

"No, I've been awake for a while, I've jus' . . . been layin' here, relishin' in somethin' that I haven' had in a while." He replied, his voice coming out as quiet as hers had been and she didn't say anything after that, just simply took the time that was needed to turn over to face him. He allowed her to, swallowing hard the split second before her lips caught his. Her hands sunk deep into his dark locks – a movement he thought he would never grow tired of her ever performing, where she pulled him close to her. She felt his tongues slide wetly into her mouth and hers moved to eagerly meet it. They tangled together in a lazy morning dance as his hands slid along the velvet, warm expanse of her body to wrap around her and pull her closer to him still – so close, in fact, that every curve and dip and valley of her body seemed to mold so naturally to his. His thigh slid in-between hers as a leg moved to hook around his hip and he felt her grin as their kiss came to a slow stop. And for a moment, he marveled at the fact of how much he had missed this - this completely hot, intimate entwining of their bodies.

"You know, I still haven't forgiven you . . ." She murmured, her voice coming out half playful, half serious and Daryl couldn't help but grin in reply.

"Well _one _of us has to keep up the appearance of ya bein' angry at me, I suppose . . ."

Tessa gave a laugh then at his words as her hands moved down from within his hair. She felt the rough, warm muscles of Daryl's shoulders underneath her hands before her fingertips cautiously traveled down the path of the ugly, brutal looking scars that littered his chest. Her body trilled at feeling of the strength lying kinetic beneath her hands and she felt her breath hitch slightly. His flesh was enticing her in ways that only her instincts completely understood and before she knew what she was doing, her mouth had already landed on his exposed skin, where she ran her tongue along the length of one jagged scar that spanned his non-tattooed pectoral. She had also settled herself on his quickly growing erection and he could feel the warmth of her sex seeping down onto him . . .

Shit. Fuck. God_damn_it - he had _really _missed this!

"Tho' tha' doesn' exactly mean tha' I ain' angry at ya too, Tess," He finally spoke and she brought her eyes back up to his, where he nodded. "Ya did tell me tha' I wouldn' see my kids again if I left ya, remember? Yeah, didn' exactly sit well with me." She didn't know if he was being serious or if this was his idea of a joke and saw the slight anger simmering beneath the surface of his eyes, although she also saw that it walked hand-in-hand with amusement. For once, she didn't know where Daryl was going with something and if anything, it left her intrigued. She arched an eyebrow.

"Well, it sounds like we have a lot of ground to cover then, now don't we?"

Daryl couldn't agree more as she pressed her lips to his again. Her kisses were messages, and they drowned Daryl in a river of raw need – the same as her. Again, it felt so amazing to be submerged in such feelings of raw want and need that every touch and kiss with Daryl seemed to light inside her, and not the seemingly echoless void that she had experienced when Rick had kissed her. Her desire for Daryl was a thousand times more addictive and potent than any vice that either of them had ever possessed - combined - and that alone gave the entire thing a certain headiness that was almost sublime.

She ran her tongue along the roof of his mouth, making his skin tingle and the fine hair on his arms stand on end. _Touch me, _the kiss demanded.

_I want to_ . . . He answered by licking the underside of her tongue. Tessa sucked on his lower lip - drawing it in-between her teeth and shaping his breath into loud and heavy gasps as he panted.

_Taste me . . ._

_I am babydoll . . . _He captured her lips with his teeth in an eager, retaliatory nibble before her tongue purposefully moved to dip in and out of his mouth.

_Take me._

_Oh, God . . . _Daryl shuddered against those sweet lips as Tessa plunged her tongue farther into the hot space of his mouth.

Take me_._

_I want to . . . _Daryl thought as the fingers of his hands dug into the soft flesh of her back and her ass. The tips of their tongues met then, before twisting around each other in a needy and almost angry exchange. _Oh God do __I want to . . ._ She led his tongue back towards her own mouth as they continued to kiss. He hesitated briefly at the invitation, feeling lost and powerless. _Losing control - since when did I 'ave tha control of tha situation to begin with? _He scoffed at himself as her tongue slid against his again, and when she led him into the wet, open space of her mouth, Daryl readily followed her lead this time.

_Take me._

_I need to . . . _His tongue whispered as it glided past her teeth and he felt her back began to arch against him ever-so-slightly as he passionately kissed her back. Daryl withdrew his tongue only to plunge it back inside her waiting mouth, each time pushing it a little deeper. She briefly flicked her tongue around him as it pulled back.

"For the love of God – take me already, Daryl . . .!"

Grinning at her hushed, slightly impatient words, Daryl pushed as far back into Tessa's mouth as he could, his strong tongue entering her mouth again as he pushed her onto her back, catching himself on one of his hands above her to spare her his full weight as her other leg moved to hook around his other hip.

"Don't worry, babydoll . . . I will_._"

* * *

When the both of them joined the others later that morning on the first floor of the cellblock, it was clear that everyone was still on edge from the events of the previous afternoon. They had lost Axel – a death had hit Carol particularly hard considering how close the two of them had become in his short stay with them, as well as the fact that they now had a yard full of walkers again, did nothing to make them feel any better. In fact, things were so tense that the only two people who even gave notice to the two of them jogging quickly down the stairs, pulling on a shirt (Daryl) and overshirt (Tessa) as they moved, was Rick and Merle. Both men's faces paled when they saw them and Daryl was thankful that Merle's face had fallen expressionless not soon afterwards. His morning had started out way too damn good for him to have to put up with any of his pigheaded older brother's stupid, sarcastic quips.

And likewise, Rick was gazing at Tessa with an almost deflated look on his face as she exited the guard office with Daryl hot on her heels and the both of them pulling on the last articles of clothing for that morning. Her booted feet hit the cement floor and she moved past him towards one of the opened cells in order to get the twins' formula ready, pointedly avoiding her eyes as she moved past him. Wren smoothly moved to fall in beside her as Daryl's eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion at the entire thing. He made a mental note to ask one or both of them what that was about later when things had died down a little.

"We're not leaving!" Rick's emphatic words brought him out of his thoughts and he turned his eyes onto the man along with everyone else.

"Well, we can't stay here!" Hershel spoke up from his place sitting on the stairs leading to the second floor and Maggie shook her head as she glanced at her father.

"What if there's another sniper out there waiting for us? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds!"

"We can't even go outside." Beth added as she held a sleeping Judith in her arms and Carol glanced at the young girl as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Not in the daylight, anyways . . ."

"Look, Rick says we're not running, so we're not running!" Glenn finally spoke up, his voice brooking no argument as he moved to hold all their gazes, and Daryl immediately wanted to let out a grin and a laugh. Damn, he had been gone for a few days, leaving Short Round to run things while Rick flirted with insanity and finally, the pressure had caused him to grow some hair on his balls! He should have left sooner!

Tessa and Wren had reappeared by then and made their way for the stairs leading to the second floor and the guard office, bottles of warm formula in Tessa's hands. She smiled at him and he returned the smile with a loving one of his own as they continued on their way, everyone paying them no heed.

"No . . . better to live like rats, ain' it?" Merle spoke up from his place behind the bars of the common room's gate and Daryl saw Tessa flinch slightly at his voice, however, she shrugged it off and continued on her way to the twins. Likewise, he also saw Ethan cut his uncle a none-too-kind look and wanted to smile at that as well.

"You got a better idea?" Rick asked him and Merle gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Other than tha fact tha' we should have slid outta here last night so tha' we could live to fight 'nother day? Nope – none at all." His eyes had been lingering on Tessa's backside the entire time him and Rick spoke and it was that little blatant disregard of respect for his brother standing _right there_ that had Daryl's teeth gritting in irritation and anger. He still didn't know what he was going to do with him yet. "We lost tha' window, didn' we? Hell, I'm sure he's got scouts on every road outta this place by now."

"We ain' scared of tha' prick." Daryl replied, his steely blue eyes moving to hold his brother's and Merle subtly shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. How cocky his baby brother was now, after spending the night and the early morning in bed with his girl. Hell, Merle would be cocky too if he had spent the night and that morning with Tessa!

"Y'all should be. Tha' truck through the fence thing – tha's jus' foreplay for him. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got tha guns _and _the numbers to make it Hell for us. And if he takes the high ground 'round this place . . ." Merle shook his head as he hocked a great wad of spit to his left. "He could starve us out if he wanted to."

"Ya know, let's put him in another cellblock, okay?" Maggie spoke up, her voice full of false cheer and her eyes immediately sought Daryl's out in the small crowd. "He's taking up the kitchen and it'd do her some good." He knew she meant Tessa – Hell, they _all _knew she meant Tessa now that it was out about her and Merle's past together and Daryl shook his head as he tore his eyes away from hers and pinned them on his brother again. They were cold and steely again – almost heartless.

"No, he's got a point. And besides . . . I wanna keep this bastard in a place where I can see him at all times if I need to." Maggie shot him a disbelieving glare.

"How could you think that? This is _him _– _he _all started this! You wouldn't _have _to keep an eye on him if he could have kept in his pants -!"

"What difference does it make whose fault it is?" Beth asked in slight disbelief as she interrupted her sister. She handed Judith off to Carol before jogging down the stairs to stand beside Maggie. "What do we do?"

"I said we should leave," Hershel immediately spoke up, his voice slightly impatient and stubborn. "Now Axel's dead; we can't just sit here!" Rick glanced at him before heading off in the direction of the common room and the doorway that led to the outside world beyond but an angry Hershel getting to his feet and yelling after him to get back and stay with the rest of the group, made him immediately come to a stop. The sound of Hershel's crutches against the cement of the floor, echoed around the cellblock as he moved to come up behind him and as everyone descended into a palpable silence. "You are slipping, Rick! We've all seen it and we all understand why!"

It was then, in that palpable silence, that Tessa and Wren stepped out of the guard office, empty baby bottles in Tessa's hand. She handed them off to Wren as she moved to stand beside Daryl by the second floor railing and who was also standing beside Ethan and Seth. Wren made her careful way down the slightly crowded stairs leading to the first floor, before disappearing into the cellblock they had readied them in. Tessa's hand smoothed across Daryl's side and moved to rest on the small of his back underneath his shirt and he pulled her close to him as their eyes fell onto the scene unfolding between Hershel and Rick.

"What's goin' on with Rick?" He asked her quietly as his eyebrows furrowed in interest, feeling Merle's eyes on them ever-so-slightly. Tessa sighed and shook her head.

"He says he's been seeing Lori," She told him and immediately, Daryl's eyebrows almost threatened to disappear into his hairline. Forget Merle – what was this about? Tessa nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know."

"And how d'ya know this, babydoll?"

"'Cause he told me. He was pretty bad the last couple of days while you were gone and poor Glenn – I thought he was going to have a heart attack trying to make the group's decisions in you and Rick's places! Rick and I were talking yesterday before the attack and he told me. I think I had just about the same reaction that you did."

Daryl let out a snort. "Well, sorry to hear tha', but at least tha leadership role finally made Short Round grow his first pubes."

"Daryl, _really_?"

"Deddy, don' be gross."

Daryl grinned at his son and wife's reactions and finally returned his attention onto Rick and Hershel below them. "Now is not the time for you to detach from us, Rick! You once said that this wasn't a democracy and now you have to own up to that! I put my family's life in your hands – Daryl puts _his _family's life in your hands! So get your head clear and _do _something."

* * *

Apparently, that 'do something' in question, was going to have to wait, for as soon as Hershel was done with his angry rant towards Rick, the man continued on out through the common room but instead of heading out through the front door like everyone thought, he ended up exiting through another door that lead to one of the outer balconies overlooking the prison courtyard, no doubt to survey how bad the damage was to the yard. He came back a few moments later and handed Maggie the rifle.

"Go keep watch and keep your head down, okay?" Maggie nodded as Rick continued on down the cellblock towards Hershel and Michonne standing in the back. "We'll keep watches – looking for any snipers or whatnot."

"I could get up in the guard tower . . . take out half them walkers and give these guys a chance to fix the fence." Daryl suggested as he moved to join them and the look of slight annoyance that crossed Rick's face at having to speak with him, blew him back. What the fuck was _that _about? Was he still pissed at him walking off or was it something else? Daryl's eyes landed on Tessa flanked by Beth and Wren doing laundry on the other side of the cellblock before he could stop himself and quickly made the mental note that had him asking the one or both of them what was up, one of his top priorities.

Eventually, though, Michonne's quiet voice breaking the silence between them brought his attention back to the present. "Or we could use some of those cars to put the bus in place."

"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets." Hershel told him, his voice solemn. "Me and Tess counted a few days ago – we don't have near enough the ammunition for it to work."

"So, what then . . .? We're trapped in here?" Glenn asked as he moved to join them, his black eye still a damn near glaring beacon and Daryl stayed silent and allowed someone else to tackle that question that glared out just like his eye did – someone like Rick. "There's barely any food or ammo except for powdered milk, so unless we all want to be drinking baby formula, then we might want to make up a plan!"

Daryl finally nodded his head. "We've been here before – we'll be alright."

"Yeah, well that was when it was _just us_," He told him and suddenly, Daryl was struck with the keen realization that now that it was focused on him, he _really _didn't like Glenn's tone. "_Before_ there was a snake in the nest."

Okay, now he _really _didn't like his tone.

"Man, we gonna go through this again?" Daryl snapped, his eyes clouding over in anger – a snap that immediately caused Tessa to stop what she was doing and turn her eyes onto them. "Look, Merle's stayin' here – he's with us now. Get used to it – all ya'll!"

"And I don't mean to start something, but I _do_ have a problem with that! After what he did to me and Maggie – after what he could have done to _Tessa_!" Glenn shook his head. "You claim to have this insane love for Tess, but quite frankly, I don't know how you've allowed this jackass to live this long, Daryl!"

Daryl's teeth gritted with his quickly growing rage and he immediately moved to step closer to Glenn – as up in his face as he could possibly get and he had to give the kid credit – he didn't back down. He held his ground _and_ Daryl's gaze but that didn't mean that Daryl was going to back down the first time Glenn showed the group that he _did _actually have balls.

"Look, Glenn, here's a little piece of advice: jus' 'cause I haven' dealt with him yet, _doesn' _mean tha' I'm never gonna! And until – _until _– I finally decide jus' what tha' _fucker _deserves for what he done to ma wife, he's gonna stay here and he's _goin' _to be a productive member of tha group. So until that time – in which case ya _will _be the first to know, I promise ya – ya jus' gonna have to learn to _live with it_!"

The entire cellblock was as silent as the grave as Daryl pushed past him then. He jogged up the stairs to the second floor and without anywhere to go, lingered on the far side - as far away as he could get from Glenn at that moment. Tessa pursed her lips as Glenn immediately moved closer to Rick, his voice lowering as he no doubt continued to lament Merle's presence in the prison to the one man whose opinion overruled all. Rick, who seemed more and more quick-to-anger since the attack the previous day, seemed to be getting pretty fed-up with Glenn's words and it was then that Tessa's teeth gritted and she threw down the shirt she had been folding, where she marched over to them. Everyone's eyes immediately shifted onto her as she joined moved to join them and when she was close enough to where they had turned to meet her, a sharp crack split through the air as her hand collided with Glenn's face. The younger man stood there in stark shock as Merle's whistle of both amusement and respect split through the air from the other side of the room.

"Since this is not going to be settled like adults, then I am pulling a trump card on _all _of you children!" Her gaze flickered from Glenn, to Rick and Daryl and then back again. "Considering that bastard has done more to harm me than he has _anyone _else here – Glenn, shut the fuck up!" She held up a silencing finger when the man opened his mouth to protest. "Did he rape you repeatedly and to the point to where you left the one person you have loved above all others along with their son, who subsequently lost growing up for thirteen precious years without his father?" Glenn sheepishly closed his mouth and shook his head and Tessa nodded. "Yeah, I didn't think so," She turned around then and with a look of extreme distaste on her face, locked eyes with Merle. "So, unfortunately, I think that the decision when and how to end this sorry, miserable, scumbag excuse for a human being, should be on me. That way, _you two _are not fighting constantly on whether or not to keep him here and are not getting distracted from more important things – like what the fuck we are going to do about a yard full of walkers!" She turned around and her eyes flickered to Daryl and Glenn again, both of whom had wide-eyed looks on their faces. Her eyes then connected with Rick's and he gave a shrug and threw his hands up in the air.

"I don't care; sounds good to me – just as long as I don't have to hear any more shit on this topic!" He spoke, relief evident in his voice, and Tessa's eyes flickered back to Glenn and Daryl again.

"Are we clear, boys? Comments, questions, cuss words?"

Daryl immediately shook his head, a look of slight amusement appearing on his face. It seemed Den Mother had yet again come out to roar about something else and Glenn took a moment longer but eventually shook his head as well, still a look of slight embarrassment appearing on his face as he stood there before her. Tessa heaved an apologetic sigh. "Glenn, honey, look - I'm sorry I slapped you, but you being kinda ridiculous, I do hope you know that."

He gave a nod as she turned around and returned to what she, Beth and Wren had been doing with the laundry as Hershel reminded Glenn that Merle had military experience and would useful, his voice slightly soothing. It wasn't every day that you got bitch slapped by your friend's wife and then subsequently made a fool of. Understandably, many there were not envying Glenn for his temporary moment of stupidity to try and tempt Tessa's ire.

"So, it seems I'm all ya's now, ain' I sweet-pea? Kinky." Merle grinned and Tessa shot him a disgusted look.

"Shut the fuck up Merle," Her eyes connected with Daryl's again. "I didn't do it for you."


	55. Chapter 54

**There is a lemon ahead . . . a pretty heated lemon and it probably will be the last one for a while, so yeah, hope you enjoy it :)**

**Also, I'll leave it up to you guys to decide whose POV is at the beginning - Rick, Merle - _both? _Ya never know - have fun with that too :)**

**wickedclownsmile: You will see part of that friction between Rick and Daryl in this chapter before the lemon and what'choo talkin' about? Tessa's _always _been the boss ;). Also, if I do ever need input, I will definitely keep you in mind - thanks for the offer :)**

**HaloHunter89: It aggravated me on the show too when Glenn wouldn't let stuff go and so I guess that part was kinda me projecting my feelings towards Glenn through Tessa. I'm still working out Merle and Ethan's first encounter (or second, if you count Merle saving him from the walker earlier) but I can promise you its probably gonna be dramatic lol. Thanks for adding me to your favorites, by the way :)**

**- Nagiana**

**PS : I know this is waaaaayyyyy over-do, but if anyone computer savvy out there in my mass of fans want to spend the time and energy to create one of those cool little picture thingies that I can put in the top corner where Daenerys Targaryen is now, that would be much appreciated and I would ADORE it. I would, of course, list your name in the main summary box so people know its yours, so you wouldn't have to worry about that. Again, it'd be much appreciated considering all I do on computers practically is on Facebook, YouTube and in Microsoft Word :)**

* * *

_"Won't you give me three steps,_

_Gimme three steps mister,_

_Gimme three steps towards the door?_

_Gimme me three steps_

_Gimme three steps mister,_

_And you'll never see me no more."_

_- "Gimme Three Steps" – Lynyrd Skynyrd_

Her name feels like a sin on his tongue, even though he has yet to say it.

He watches her, eyes bordering on curiosity and longing, as she folds the clothes fresh from the dryers with Beth and Wren in the common room – always humming or singing a random song underneath her breath but always loud enough for the two girls to hear. They would grin and carry on with the wordless tune, their grins matching the one on her beautiful face as they would laugh and sway with the nonexistent music. Carol remained in the cellblock, watching the sleeping babies while they complete this mundane duty and he could see that the light was sparkling in her eyes because of it. Tessa loved her children – she adored them almost as much as Daryl did and there was no disputing that fact – but sometimes, even she needed a break every once in a while, even if that break did encompass a chore like folding the group's clean clothes.

Tanned skin shining in the bright light that also seemed to bring out the blue in her black hair and her curvy body made even more-so by her pregnancy, and which was delightfully outlined in a white tank top and one of Daryl's flannel overshirts that she hadn't stopped wearing, even after the birth of the twins. She was beautiful standing there. Of course, then again, in his opinion, she was always beautiful, but that seemed beside the point for some reason.

The metal door banged open then and everyone seemed to freeze, bodies tensing at the prospect of who it could be. They had all been on high alert since the attack from the Governor but when Daryl was the one who entered, though, Seth and Ethan close on his heels and all three of them weary from the watch they had kept since that morning, everyone relaxed. Tessa's face relaxed as well and the beeline that Daryl immediately made for her, once again shocked him and almost made him sick to his stomach. Now that he was back and in the group, he was hardly taking his eyes off of her for a minute and as his hands slid around her to wrap around her waist and bring her close to him as their lips met in a chaste kiss, the grin that appeared on her face afterwards was soft and almost infectious. Wren and Ethan even shared secret glances that went completely unseen by her protective older brother.

"Where are the twins?"

"Carol's watching them in the cellblock along with Judith while they take their nap and we fold up these clothes."

"How have they been?"

"Good – quiet. They fed nicely and Danny, as always, seems a little fussy, but besides that . . ."

The look of worry on his face was immediately readable and it took a moment for Tessa to notice it. When she did, she shook her head, her hands smoothing across his cheeks to lovingly frame his face. Danny always seemed a little fussy or a little colicky or _something_ and the fear that they might lose their son one of these days, was one of the closest fears that Daryl kept to his heart. Tessa, however, wasn't worried in the slightest and sometimes had to assure him over and over again that their son would not die – not while she and Carol and Hershel were still there. And besides, the fussiness and the slight colic was always something easily remedied – it wasn't like he was constantly contracting all these deadly, communicable diseases.

He lost interest in their conversation then, opting to turn around and head back towards the cellblock, than stand there watching them all day. Ethan and Seth watched him go with wary eyes, knowing they probably wanted to keep their eyes on him. No point in alerting Daryl to something that might not even matter, right?

* * *

When they first got together, it had been years before Merle actually saw Tessa for the first time, although that isn't to say that he had never heard of her before then. He might have been locked up behind bars and sharing a cold, empty cell with a nigger with a chip on his shoulder, but the letters he and Daryl rarely exchanged almost always seem to carry common themes:

Their father was still an asshole; the various past hunting seasons had been tough/went amazing/could have gone better.

And Tessa . . . Tessa was always beautiful.

He could immediately tell from the first letter that Daryl had sent him that also contained her, that his brother had been struck dumb, left starstruck and/or been hopelessly pussy-whipped by this squaw (or whichever term you preferred to use, anyway), purely by how much of his letters _actually _were of substance, which meant the scant part of the letters that were _not _set aside purely for Tessa.

There weren't much.

And really, when he had finally been released and was on his way home, he hadn't expected much. Daryl had never had a lot of girlfriends growing up and the girlfriends he _had_ possessed had been average looking at best – that or they looked the epitome of typical trailer park white-trash (or at least, the ones he had seen, anyway). Their father was dead (good riddance, he always found himself saying, so the house was being left in the care of Daryl and occasionally, their uncle Jess. The squaw was living off in her own apartment, so then, he rationalized, if she wasn't anything to look at, at least he wouldn't have to look at her every minute of every damn day.

But the first time he saw her, _he, _who had put her down so many times in front of his friends, had ended up being struck dumb.

At first he couldn't _believe _that the beautiful young woman, who beamed as she met him and then pulled him into a hug that he had no idea of how to reciprocate, was his baby brother's girlfriend. Daryl was never anything to look at but this woman, this-this . . . _squaw_, was gorgeous. And she was _good _and _smart _– everything the Dixon brothers had never before had in a girlfriend.

For the first time, Merle had to admit that he was jealous of Daryl. He was almost pea-green with jealousy, in fact. And truth be told, he tried _everything _in his book to try and get her away from his little brother – schmoozing, showing off, being as courteous as he could be (which almost killed him, by the way; he supposed he was more like his old man than he thought) – but despite everything he did, her eyes had always remained unwaveringly on Daryl while Merle's remained on her. Daryl was the first thing they landed on whenever they – occasionally with their uncle – walked out of the woods holding that night's dinner, those damn beautiful brown orbs of hers lighting up like the multi-colored lights on a Christmas Tree as a grin as infectious as the plague would spread across her face at the same time. It would almost always cause the very same grin to spread across Daryl's face in turn.

And not-to-mention those Daisy Duke shorts, tight tops and Indian style dresses she always wore, didn't help matters that much either. In fact, Merle knew for a _fact _that they affected the both of them pretty much the same - the only difference between them was that Daryl could always pull her into his bedroom or up into the hayloft of the barn and get easily rid of the way the blood thumped through his veins whenever he saw her. Merle couldn't do that.

Merle. Couldn't. Do That.

And he doubted he could now.

But did she honestly expect him not to try? _Come on_, she knew him - she had know him for _years _before she left! She knew how he rolled! So really, she shouldn't have reacted the way she did when he first walked up to her.

"So, Tess . . . what'cha gonna do ta me now tha' I'm all ya's?" He asked her as a grin spread across on his face and as he moved to sidle up next to her. She let out a disgusted sigh and her eyes rolled as she picked up a pile of clothes from the clothes hamper she and the girls had been standing at, and took them over to another table, where she distributed them neatly into piles: the shirts that would go to Carl, her clothes and the ripped jeans and flannel shirts that would go up to her and Daryl's room, the one-sies for the babies . . .

"When I said that you're 'mine', Merle, I meant that your Daryl's. I didn't do it because I was feeling charitable towards you - I did it to keep Glenn and the others off your backs while Daryl figures out what the Hell he wants to do with you." He laughed.

"Damn girl, I didn' know ya were _that_ freaky!" He spoke and she immediately shot him a look that practically screamed, "Excuse me?" but he merely shook his head and changed tactics. "But come on, sweet-pea – we all know the real reason ya did it!" He laughed and Wren and Beth tensed somewhat but Tessa shot them both a reassuring look over her shoulder before placing her hands on her hips and moving to face him. She arched an inquiring brow.

"Now why, in that sick little head of yours, would you _ever _think I want you, Merle Dixon, when I am perfectly happy with your brother? When I have three beautiful children with your brother?"

Merle shrugged then. "Well, ya . . . ya _did _kick him out . . ." He began, his face temporarily turning solemn and Tessa immediately let out another frustrated, disgusted sound as she rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air.

"You are such a _child_, Merle! You always were and you still are! You make assumptions on something that you have no idea came about in the first place!" Something occurred to her then and she grinned and let out a laugh then as she held up a finger. "Wait, wait - let me guess! You probably think that I kicked him out because when I first saw you before you _kidnapped _me, Glenn and Maggie and took us to that Hell in Woodbury, that _all _those pent-up, twisted, _Freudian_ emotions came _washing _back in, huh?"

"Now, sweet-pea, I know ya were always tha intelligent one and everythin', but ya know tha' I _would_ be able to answer tha' question if I knew what "Freudian" meant."

"You . . . are impossible!" She spoke, her face adopting a remarkably expressionless look given who she was dealing with, and Merle chuckled as she spun around on her heels and headed back in the direction of Wren, Beth and the dry clothes.

"Come on, Tess, why don' ya admit it? I was tha best lay ya ever had!"

Tessa whirled around to face him then, her eyes wide with disbelief and rage and her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She was stunned and rightly so. How could he _possibly _even _begin _to think that after what he had done to her?

She quickly marched over to him, her finger moving to point squarely in his face, but another loud shout coming from the cellblock caught their attention. Merle and Tessa glanced at each other before making their quick way over to the entrance. They skidded to a stop, however, when they saw Rick slide through the opened doorway on his back, slightly dazed and a nasty black ring forming around his right eye. Tessa's eyes grew wide as Merle let out a whistle.

"Damn, Sheriff, who'd _ya_ piss off?"

"Daryl, _stop_!"

Carol came running after the youngest Dixon brother as he stalked from the cellblock and made an immediate beeline for Rick. "Carol, what's going on?" Tessa asked in horror and Carol turned a weak look onto her and shrugged.

"I don't know! One minute, him and Rick were talking and the next, Daryl was flying into a rage!"

"Ya _f__ucker_ – how could ya . . .!?" They heard Daryl growl as he bent down and grasped Rick by the scruff of his shirt. His hand rose in a fist but Tessa immediately barking for Carol to go back to the babies as she darted over to Daryl and Rick, kept him from throwing that punch. Merle grinning and shouting for Daryl to punch him once for him, didn't help matters, though.

"Daryl – Daryl, what are you doing, baby?" She asked him as she curled a hand around his wrist while his other one wrapped an iron vice around his chest. She gave a firm pull, trying to get him to his feet and off of Rick, but he stubbornly remained crouched down over the man, his hand still latched in the cloth of his white shirt while his other remained raised. Tessa knew it would be like trying to move a brick wall on her own and glanced at Merle but knew there would be no way he would help her - he was having too great of a time watching his little brother fixing to beat up the man who he figured took away his hand in the first place. "Daryl, please baby, think of what you're doing!"

"Tessa Dixon, ya better get offa me!" He growled warningly with a terse shake of his head and Tessa stubbornly shook her head in turn. Her eyes darted down to Rick lying supine underneath Daryl's enraged grip and at the weak look that appeared at Daryl referring to her with his last name, made her immediately know what this whole thing was about. She shook her head, her voice lowering down to a soothing hush that only the three of them would be able to hear.

"Daryl, baby, nothing happened between us, I promise! Now get _off_ of him – before you do something stupid!"

"Yeah, I know ya guys didn' do anythin' – I believe him in that! I'm pissed at what he _did _do, though!"

"Daryl, it was just a kiss -!"

Daryl gritted his teeth and let out an enraged yell at the words as he brought his fist down. It collided roughly with Rick's cheek and the man's head snapped to the side as Daryl threw Tessa off of him and got to his feet. He then twirled around, grabbed her hand in an almost bruising grip, and yanked her roughly through the door leading to the other cellblock.

"Daryl, stop – you're hurting me!"

Daryl ignored her as he callously threw her into the abandoned cellblock's common room, where he slid his hand over his lips before moving to anxiously pace the floor. Tessa rubbed the pain away and the feeling back into her hand as he did so, her eyes falling onto him as he paced. Finally he stopped and he turned to face her, his eyes enraged and his body thrumming with the effort it took to keep his anger in check with her.

"Who kissed who?"

"Rick kissed me," She immediately answered him and he nodded, looking a little relieved as he went back to pacing. "Fuckin' _bastard_! Not even a day gone and he makes the move on ma woman! What kind of fuckin' guy is he?!" He muttered, more to himself than to her before he came to a stop and turned to her again. She saw his anger had returned and swallowed hard at the sight.

"He said that ya had kissed him back . . ." He turned an angry, slightly pleading gaze onto her. "Please tell me ya didn' kiss him back, Tess! Please tell me ya slapped him and walked back into that cellblock and back to our kids – _please_!" He closed his eyes as he spoke the last words and Tessa swallowed hard.

"I . . . I did, but Daryl, please, it was only for a few seconds and then I pushed him away – it was more of a reflex than anything -!"

"God_damn_it, Tess!"

"Daryl, please, believe me!"

"How can I?" He twirled around, his eyes meeting hers in an enraged glare. "First ya kick me out and say that I won' ever see ma kids again if I go off, then ya _allow _Rick to kiss ya? What the _fuck_, Tess?!"

"Look, you said yourself that Rick told you _he_ was the one who put the moves on me to begin with – that wasn't a lie! And I'm sorry I kissed him back for _maybe _a few seconds but Daryl, nothing happened beyond that! Baby, I felt nothing with him – I feel none of the fireworks and the warmth and the-the _passion _that I feel with you!" She turned a pleading gaze onto him as she took a few steps towards him, a movement that Daryl didn't turn away from. He watched her though, and when she finally neared him, her hands smoothing across his cheeks to frame his face, his eyes softened somewhat. "If I had done something with him, then would I have almost immediately jumped into bed with you the night and the morning you returned like I had?"

"So ya didn' fuck him?"

"No, baby! I would _never _do that to you!" She answered him with a laugh and a shake of her head.

"Have ya fucked anyone else?" He asked and her laugh immediately came to a stop. For a moment, Tessa could only stand there and blink in shock. Where were these questions coming from? Was it anger talking or were these genuine fears of his? She didn't know but before she could stop herself – before the filter in her brain could stop the _very_ sarcastic line from popping out of her mouth, it was free and dropping like an anvil between them.

"Oh, do you mean before or _after_ Merle fucked me? Cause ya know, that's what he does."

Those sarcastic, slightly cold words seemed to have triggered something that made everything seemed to explode around her at once and before she could say or do anything further. With a loud smash, the dirty mirror on the nearby wall was shattered into a million tiny pieces and the shards fell to the cement floor in dangerously jagged shards. It was not as deafening as the resounding, sharp crack that split through the still air when the back of Daryl's hand made contact with the side of Tessa's face, but it was still pretty deafening and the reverberations off of the abandoned cellblock walls seemed to last forever.

Neither of them said anything or moved for a long moment as they allowed to sink in what had just happened between them. Dully, Tessa realized that her cheek and lip were throbbing and when she looked at him from beneath thick black eyelashes, she wasn't sure on whether or not she saw guilt there shining in his world-weary blue eyes from accusing her of something that he knew damn and good well she would never do, or righteousness because for whatever reason, his anger kept him from feeling any guilt.

Daryl grabbed her hands before she could retaliate and then forced her back against the nearby wall with a strength that momentarily knocked the wind from her lungs. She had forgotten how strong he was, and Daryl's strength certainly surprised her then. Sensing her spiteful insults simmering just below the surface, he crushed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss before seemingly melding themselves together. She wanted to sing out in joy when she felt the fireworks that immediately exploded between them in a fiery inferno – the warmth from his body flooding into hers, causing her body to flush with the heat and she found herself hoping that he felt these things too – these all-encompassing warm things.

They were both futile to the desires of their bodies and despite the lingering pain her words and his strike had caused, Tessa couldn't help but moan wantonly into his mouth as his hands framed her face and his tongue plundered her mouth, their breathing coming out harsh and wanton through their noses. Her kiss with Rick had been nothing like this and thank God it hadn't! She only wanted to have this kind of reaction with Daryl.

His lips were chapped and his tongue was hot as he dragged her towards one of the darkened cells. Teeth found her bottom lip and her groan of desire became a groan of slight pain as he sunk them down into the tender flesh. Despite the ferocity of his kiss, though, he wrapped his lips around her bottom one before sucking, his tongue swiping over the cut to ease the pain. His hands – which were rough and bruising - clung and slid over every available surface and curve of her body, finding that little about her had changed over the weeks they hadn't been together after the birth.

Clothes were quickly shed and torn from each other with a wanton abandonment that shocked the both of them. And then, in minutes that practically bordered on seconds, they were on the bunk with Daryl pounding into her with another reckless abandon, her legs finding themselves being supported on his shoulders. There was no preparation and Tessa grimaced at how long it had been since they had come together that violently – since she had been that violent with any man, for that matter. He gave her but a moment to adjust before his first earth-shattering thrust hit home. And it was then that she realized that there was nothing loving in the way they were making love at that moment. They were leaving bruises - bloody bites and gouges along each other's skin that the others would look upon with curiosity later. Tessa moaned out her pleasure and encouragement as he hoisted her legs back further and answered with loud, animalistic-like grunts before his teeth found the delicate skin of her inner thigh – marking her as his and his alone.

Somewhere distantly, Tessa found herself wondering if this was what Merle would have called 'fucking'. Her thoughts scattered, though, when Daryl shifted his weight against her ever-so-slightly. It was a movement that only made her fist her fingers into his hair even more as the nails of her other hand tore his shoulder to shreds – an action that made him let out a hiss of slight pain as his teeth gritted in the same emotion. She arched her back off of the bed and against him, urging him on in pleading whispers. By God, she had missed this - this intimacy of having Daryl so deeply within her, even when their passion was laced with anger, bitterness and abhorrence.

She had slept with her fair share of other men over the years since she left him and married Sam, but constantly, she found herself realizing that those said men were nothing like him. There had never been the same amount of intimacy with them that she had, had with Daryl. But for the love of God, Daryl was the father of her children – he would always have a certain intimacy with her that no other man would ever be able to achieve in their wildest of dreams.

She was now unabashedly moaning as her nails dug even more into the flesh of his shoulders and his back, the red marks glowing an angry red. She begged him and moaned and whimpered and Daryl found that he adored every sound that he could still get her to make. Very little had changed between them and never before had he been so happy.

"Oh my God . . . _yes_, Daryl! Fuck me there – right _there_, baby – oh _God_ yes!"

He was right there with her when she finally tumbled over the precipice and the world shattered and careened around her in a colorfully warm arc. They fell together, riding out their joint ecstasy with moans and groans of the other's name as his hips stilled and quaked in-between hers and as he released inside of her. When reality slowly started to piece itself back together again, Tessa became aware that he had his arms wrapped around her in a certain protectiveness that she realized she had long since missed. She also realized that he was trembling again and Tessa didn't need the damp sensation against the nape of her neck to know that he was crying, and for once, she let him. The man had been through a lot these past few weeks – from losing her for those brief but agonizing couple of days, and before that having to save her from both walkers and Merle in a twisted gladiatorial combat game in Woodbury . . . this time, she would allow his tears.

Tessa ran her fingers lovingly through his hair, and eventually, he rolled off her to her left. "I love ya, Tessa . . . and ya have no idea how much I mean it! And I promise ya – I will never leave ya ever again, even if ya push me away!" He whispered brokenly against her shoulder and she returned the sentiment softly before she reached around to grasp his hand and wrap his arm around her waist. He spooned against her back, his breathing evening out as he faded away into a deep sleep. She knew they would handle this whole thing with Rick later - most likely tomorrow but for now, he was asleep and she didn't have to heart to wake him. That was the first deep sleep he had, had in God only knows how long.

And as she turned to look at him then, her gaze softened slightly. Daryl might be broken at times, but he was the one person that she could always trust with absolute certainty and she hoped he knew the same.


	56. Chapter 55

**Okay, so this does have the much awaited for "confrontation" scene between Merle and Ethan in it and I'm pretty content with it - not my best work, but I'm okay with it. I've also been feeling that I'm writing Daryl a little bit differently than I have in earlier chapters and I don't exactly like the path he's going down, so hopefully this chapter will clear some things up as he backtracks more towards how I wrote his character in the earlier chapters. Also, this is the last kinda AU chapter - the next chapter will return to the show plot :)**

**HermioneandMarcus - thanks for the review :)**

**Maddy-MarieXO - hopefully this chapter clears some stuff up for you :)**

**HaloHunter89 - yeah, I do plan on having a little bit more confrontation with Rick but I don't exactly know when that's gonna be lol. And yeah, I do plan on Merle bringing some shit up with Daryl and if this chapter is any indications in how a certain little subplot is gonna go, then Merle probably not going to die anytime soon, because I need him. And yes, I certainly hope this chapter is delightful for you :)**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

"What the _fuck_ momma?"

"Ethan – watch your language! And lower your voice too!"

Ethan pursed his lips and looked around to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation (no one was; they certainly had better things to do) before he turned a slightly angry look onto her. "Why do I have to lower my voice? He fucking _slaps _you and you let that slide under the rug?"

"You don't think he's sorry about it?" She asked him, her voice getting testy and her eyes flashing with anger as she met her son's gaze. "He almost broke down when he saw this bruise this morning! Hell, if wasn't holding Aayla, he probably would have dropped to his knees and begged his forgiveness from me!"

"Momma, that's what they all say -!"

"No it's not, Ethan – not with him! He's never done it before and there's a reason for that. You have . . . _no idea _how badly it is ingrained in him to never, _ever _lay his hands on a woman – for _any _reason! His father would have shit a dozen bricks if he was still alive and saw my cheek right now!"

"Then why did he do it, huh? If it's so deeply ingrained in him, then why did he do it?"

Tessa heaved a sigh and looked away. She didn't really know what to tell him. She knew vaguely why, but how could she tell her son that when his father was angry, pain turned him on to a minute degree? That moment back at the farm when she slapped him that one time before feeling his lips press against hers and blood flood her mouth, came rushing back and she realized that she couldn't tell Ethan none of that. He wouldn't want to hear details of his parent's sex life, for one, and for two, she didn't think he would understand. Him and Wren were nothing like that – there was an innocence and a lovingness to their relationship that Daryl and Tessa's would never have – the innocence, she meant. The lovingness was there in abundance, but the innocence . . . Daryl had never been innocent and so would his romantic relationships never be completely innocent too.

A baby's hungry cries split the air and Tessa immediately tensed. Although she knew for sure that it wasn't Danny or Aayla (they had already eaten) they were still a baby's cries, nonetheless, and she was still fine-tuned to react to them. "I'll be right back, baby, okay? I'm just going to go make sure that those aren't Danny or Aayla's." She told him and Ethan nodded as his mother left him and moved into the cellblock.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Ethan turned when he saw a curious looking Seth approaching him who immediately gestured towards the door from whence Tessa had disappeared through. "So, uh . . . what was that about?" He asked and Ethan shook his head.

"Just . . . family problems . . ." He replied, weakly, not knowing how else to describe them, and Seth grinned and laughed in reply.

"You seem to have been having those a lot lately. Don't you ever get a break?" He asked him with a slight laugh and Ethan nodded in wry agreement.

"Yeah, tell me about it; it's starting to get exhausting."

"First it was Tessa and the others getting kidnapped by your uncle, then it was Daryl leaving after he had gone to go rescue them with Rick and Michonne and then, he came back after a few days but _with_ the crazy uncle in question who had kidnapped your mom and friends in the first place!" He shook his head. "Shit, man, I don't envy your life right now!"

"I take it _I'm _tha crazy uncle?"

They both jumped and spun around when they saw Merle leisurely approaching them, an amused smile on his face. "Now see, tha' ain' exactly right, although I ain' disputin' it. Every family needs tha' crazy uncle and I'll be glad to fill those shoes. I'm only a _little _crazy, tho'!"

"You're still crazy though." Seth immediately snapped back and Merle's face fell expressionless.

"I ain' tha only one crazy here, boy. In fact . . ." He gave a half-shrug as he held Seth's eyes. "I'd say I'm in damn good company, now wouldn' ya?" Seth's jaw tightened and Merle grinned and laughed. "Tha pup bares his teeth! Listen kid, when I tell ya tha' I'm out of ya league. I'd 'ave ya neck snapped before ya could even make a _move _against me! Hell, tha only man who could kick my ass is his grandfather and unfortunately, tha' old bastard's dead! His deddy likes ta think he can but Daryl's got a few things to learn before he's ready for tha' yet." He gave a snort then as his eyes quickly ran Seth up and down still standing before him. He rolled his eyes and gave a huff of irritation. "_Fuck_, kid, I ate cocky little spics like ya for breakfast in Juvie and Prison!" He nodded to the cellblock. "Now go run and check on tha' purty little sister of ya's – me and my nephew gotta talk, is tha' okay wit ya?"

Ethan's eyebrows immediately furrowed in confusion as Seth pursed his lips and spun around on his heels, where he disappeared into the cellblock. Merle moved to face Ethan as his arms crossed in front of his chest. "What do you want?"

"Nothin', I jus' . . . wanted ta see my nephew tha is apparently tha spittin' image of my brother!" He told him and Ethan sighed as his jaw tightened somewhat.

"Everyone says I do. Hell, I've grown up hearin' it since it since I was in kindergarten from momma." Merle shook his head.

"Gotta say, I don' really see tha resemblance, much . . ." He replied, a little thoughtfully, and Ethan rolled his eyes.

"What, in any of our scant interactions with each other, gave you the idea that I actually give a shit what you think about me or anyone in my family, for that matter?" He asked and Merle grinned.

"Ya 'ave his patience – tha's for damn sure. Tell me somethin' - ya a good shot, kid?"

"It's in my blood, ain' it? Pistol, rifle, shotgun – _crossbow_ - you name it, I can shoot the button off a businessman with it." Merle continued to grin as he nodded and laughed, his hands moving to bury in the front pockets of his pants as he did so.

"Yah . . . yah, it's pretty deeply ingrained. And it figures ya Daryl's son and can shoot tha damn crossbow. I never got tha hang of it myself. Wha' 'bout ya trackin'?"

"Ain't that in my blood too? That and I was taught it really young on the reservation. Been doing it almost every day ever since this whole walker thing started, too," He told him before shaking his head. "What the Hell is this about?" Merle gave a casual shrug.

"Jus' . . . wantin' ta get ta know ma nephew, tha's all." He told him with a shrug, and Ethan nodded.

"Well, ya've done tha'. So, congratulations, now excuse me. I got ta go see if deddy or one of the others needs anything." Merle nodded as Ethan turned and headed towards the opened gateway leading to the cellblock.

"Yup, ya a Dixon, alright - not tha' I ever thought otherwise. Ya also half-blanket-ass but fuck, I can' begrudge my brother of whatever tail he managed ta get himself, now can I?"

Ethan's jaw hardened at those words. "Yup, that's what I've heard. You ain't exactly telling me anything new."

"Ya know, I've known ya momma forever – since almost right around tha time her and ya deddy first became somethin'?"

"Does this have a point? 'Cause yeah, I've known about that too!" Ethan asked him as he stopped and spun around on his heels to face his uncle. Merle gave a flippant shrug.

"Tha point is, I've known ya momma since her and Daryl were hormonal teenagers, Ethan . . . and I can tell ya tha' ya momma was a little bit of a whore -!"

In hindsight, it had probably not been a good decision for Ethan to lunge at him like he had, knowing who he was, but no one talked about Tessa that way in front of him - _especially _his asshole uncle. And in fact, he managed to land a pretty good sized blow across his uncle's jaw before alarmed shouts and the pounding of booted and sneakered feet against the concrete could be heard running towards them. Merle had also made a lunge for him, eyes enraged and curled fist held aloft, but Glenn and Rick got a good grip on him and managed to pull him away at the last second as Ethan felt Daryl wrap his strong arms around his son, where he pulled him, kicking and cursing, away from his brother.

Daryl couldn't help but smile, though, at the dark blue and purple bruise already forming on his brother's jaw. Seemed his son could punch after all and there was no longer any doubt in his mind that his son had balls, speaking he had lunged at _Merle_ of all people!

"Ethan, what the Hell is going on?" Tessa demanded as she and the girls entered the common room, her eyes wide and shocked. Daryl shook his head as he dragged his son backwards towards the door leading to the outside world. Merle had calmed down enough for Glenn and Rick to hesitatingly let go of him but the glare of death he was pinning to the still spitting hellfire and brimstone Ethan, would have normally killed any lesser man. That, or at least made them shit their pants.

"Don' worry 'bout it, babydoll – I got him!" Daryl told her and Tessa nodded slowly as she watched him open the door to the outside world before letting him go. Ethan immediately threw himself out of his father's grip and moved away a few paces, still thrumming with anger. Daryl's jaw tensed as well in slight anger. "Now wha' in tha _Hell _was tha' 'bout, Ethan? Do ya _know_ jus' how close ya came to dyin' back in there?"

"Fucker said somethin' 'bout momma!" He spat, his enraged eyes lingering on Daryl's for a minute before he resumed his pacing and his father rolled his eyes and nodded a little sardonically.

"Yeah, it's Merle, Ethan – tha's what he _does_ – ya get used to it, believe it or not!"

"He called her a whore, deddy!" He told him and immediately, Daryl's eyes darkened.

"Oh, tha' asshole . . ." Ethan nodded in agreement. He stood there for a moment, his stance turning slightly awkward as he licked his lips.

"Why . . . why would he say that, deddy?"

Daryl glanced at him and held his gaze for a moment before heaving a sigh and looking down at the cement ground underneath their booted feet. His hands moved to his waist and he shook his head. "When we were younger . . . before ya were even _thought_ of, somethin' happened between ya momma and Merle."

"Like what?" He asked and Daryl turned his eyes up to his. They held gazes for a moment and Daryl noticed the keen interest and the maturity that echoed in the blue depths – a maturity that a fourteen-year-old should not have had. Whether that was based on genetics or the shitty life that the world had ended up dealing him, he didn't know. And he knew that Tessa would beat the tar out of him if she knew what he was about to tell their son but something deep in his gut told him that Ethan would be able to handle the news. And besides . . . it wasn't like he was going to give him any of the nitty-gritty details.

"I was out huntin' one day and while I was gone, he ended up rapin' her. She couldn' live with me after tha' – seein' Merle 'round tha farm was jus' too much for her to handle on a daily basis and even with me there, so she left. She went to her parents back on the reservation tha' ya grew up on and . . ." He shrugged. "She figured out she was pregnant with ya a few weeks later and the rest is history. She told me tha truth of what happened months ago while we were still on tha farm – before she even knew she was pregnant with tha twins, in fact! We . . . we never told ya 'cause we didn' think ya'd ever need to know."

The look of shock flitted across Ethan's face then before being replaced with one of horror. He pointed towards the door and took a few steps closer to him. "And he's . . . he's _in there _with her? Deddy, you have to get him out of there – he shouldn't be around her -!"

"Ethan, son, she's fine!" He interrupted him soothingly with a hand on his chest when he reached him. "She's in there with God only knows how many people and ya can say whatever ya like 'bout Merle, but he ain' stupid! Even if he _wanted _to do somethin', he'd know better than to do somethin' around that many people. And Tessa knows better than to be alone with him, too." Ethan glared at him for a minute before shaking his head.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"What do ya mean?" Daryl asked, his eyebrows immediately furrowing in confusion and Ethan shook his head.

"You come back from being gone for two damn days and you seem . . . you're just not the same! My deddy – the deddy I had back at the quarry, back on the farm and when we first came here – he would have put a bolt through that jackass' head the second he saw him! And not-to-mention you slap momma yesterday too out of anger? What the fuck is wrong with you – where is the Daryl Dixon I called my deddy for the last year?" Daryl heaved a sigh as he ran his fingers through his dark brown hair.

"Look, buddy, I'm sorry, its jus' . . . I've been stressed and . . ." He trailed off and gazed at his son for a minute before slowly shaking his head. "You know what? I have nothin' I can tell ya that can possibly excuse the way I've been actin' lately. Yeah, I can blame it on the stress and yeah, I can blame it on the twins bein' young and still keepin' us up at night, but . . . they'd be excuses."

"What about him?" Ethan then asked, his voice growing harder as he nodded towards the door leading to the cellblock and Daryl immediately knew he was talking about Merle. "How can you stand there much longer and tolerate his bullshit? 'Cause I may be young, but I ain't stupid, deddy. I can see the hate in your eyes whenever you look at him – how much you want to slit his throat and watch him bleed out on the floor at your feet. Why haven't you done it yet?"

"He's family, Ethan." He replied, his voice low and Ethan heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"That bastard in there – the bastard that almost throttled me - he ain't family, deddy! He's not my family and he shouldn't be yours either! Family doesn't do the shit he did to momma – family doesn't talk to you and to momma the way he does! Family doesn't abandon you and then come waltzing back in a year later acting like everything is fine and saying you should forgive him and every shitty thing he's ever done to you because you guys are 'blood' and that's what 'blood' does!" He shook his head, a disgusted look appearing on his face. "Shit, if that man wasn't such a damn hypocrite and respected blood like he says he does, then he wouldn't have stood there in that common room and called his own nephew a half-blanket ass!" Daryl violently flinched at his words and Ethan swallowed hard. "I don't know, _maybe_ you were like him once, but you're not anymore, deddy, you're a good man now! And really, now that I stand here and think about it, I think you stopped being like him the day you fell in love with momma – when you fell in love with someone who wasn't your own race and you fathered a child with someone you _knew _would make them mixed! And for a lot of reasons, I look up to you above all others – I always have but lately, I-I can't and that kills me in ways that you have no idea how! Especially when I feel like you're too stupid to realize that you have me and momma and the twins now and that you don't need him – that you don't _need _him as part of your family anymore! Whether you know it or not and whether you want to face it or not, you . . . you've outgrown him."

Ethan trailed off then, taking in a deep breath as he did so and nodded. He looked down at the ground then, suddenly bashful, especially when he felt his father's eyes on him unwaveringly. "There . . . there I think I'm done now . . . I think I've said my piece."

"Ya sure . . .?" Daryl asked and Ethan nodded, swallowing hard.

"Y-Yeah . . . for now, anyway. I hear that . . . being outspoken is a Dixon trait, so . . . I suppose it's gonna come out every once in a while." He replied and Daryl chuckled as he pulled Ethan into a hug.

"I'm sorry, buddy – I really am! I didn' . . . ya right. I didn' know I was actin' any differently than I was and I know it has somethin' to do with Merle bein' back. Its . . . I'll try to change, okay? I mean, I've apparently done it before so . . . I assume I can go back, right?" His words ended in a question and Ethan nodded as they broke apart, Daryl's hand lingering on his shoulder as his son stepped away from him. He fought to hold back a grin then as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away. "So, uh . . . what's goin' on between ya and Wren? Did I miss out on anythin' when I was gone?"

Blush immediately burned across Ethan's face then as his wide eyes flew up to his father. "W-what . . . how do you know?" He asked and Daryl let out a bark of a laugh.

"Oh come on son, I may be old and stressed, but I ain' blind! I see the looks ya send each other," He nodded and looked away. "I approve . . . I approve . . ."

"Is she better than Beth?" Ethan asked him with a grin and Daryl returned the grin as he nodded.

"Oh fuck yah! Ya had no chance in Hell of gettin' Hershel's approval for Beth but ya got mine for Wren, so ya know . . . ya don' have to worry 'bout that anymore." He told him with a wink and Ethan smiled a small smile as he stood by his father and crossed his arms in front of his chest as well before shaking his head.

"You are _such_ a bad influence . . ." Ethan muttered and Daryl grinned and laughed as he wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and pulled him into his side.

"Blame that on ya momma for her atrociously horrible taste in men."

* * *

"Hey, what are ya doin' up here?"

Tessa turned around and smile when she saw Daryl climb the stairs to the guard tower behind her, hands shoved down into the front pockets of his jeans. She gave a shrug and a smile. "No reason. Well, the twins are sleeping and I couldn't, so . . ." She gave another shrug. "Figured I mine-as-well come up here and do nothing except . . . look at the stars? Stare out into the great black abyss? I don't know, whatever you want to think . . ." She shot him a smile over her shoulder. "When did you get off watch?" Daryl heaved a sigh and shrugged as he moved over to stand behind her, where his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Me and Ethan got off sometime around an hour ago. We got somethin' to eat and then he went to bed – poor kid is absolutely pooped. I couldn' sleep either." He planted a kiss on her neck then. "I got a hunch tha' I should come up here and I know why now." Tessa grinned as her head lolled to the side, giving him more skin to press his lips to.

"Are you stalking me, Mr. Dixon?" She asked him and she could feel him grin against the skin of her neck.

"Maybe . . . or maybe it was jus' a hunch. Could be somethin' that simple, ya know?" He teased and Tessa gave a laugh as her hands slid down his forearms to grasp his hands laying on her stomach, where their fingers entwined.

"Ethan said you two talked today . . ." She eventually spoke and Daryl nodded as he moved to place his chin on her shoulder.

"Yup, we did – when I dragged him outside after his spat with Merle. He . . . he opened my eyes, let me jus' say tha'."

"How is that?"

"He jus' . . . he let me know tha' I have changed – tha' I was different from when we were at tha quarry and tha farm and when we first got here. He told me tha' I didn' need Merle in my family anymore – tha' I should go back to worryin' 'bout ya and him and tha twins and he's right, Tess, he's _right_! I don' know why I changed – I don' know _why _I started actin' this way – with so much fuckin' _anger_, but . . . I promise ya tha' I'm gonna go back to tha Daryl tha' ya knew – tha' _everyone _knew before all this shit happened to us," She turned to gaze at him then and he ran the tip of one gentle finger down the bruise on her cheek. "And I swear to God tha' I won' ever touch ya again, Tess and -"

He was interrupted by Tessa smiling a small smile and placing her fingers on his mouth. Eyes connected, she watched as he grasped her hand and pressed a loving kiss to the pad of her fingers before planting the final one on the center of her palm. "I know you won't, Daryl because I saw the way you looked at me this morning. Fuck, you killed your father because he laid a hand on me! You can say whatever you want about yourself, but you're not a hypocrite and if you say that you're never going to put your hand on me in that way again, then you're not! It's that simple!"

"I also . . . I also told him about what went on between you and Merle."

"Daryl, what the fuck?"

Tessa's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief as she parted from him slightly to better face him and he gave a shrug. "I'm sorry, Tess, but he asked 'bout it and I didn' . . . at the time, I didn' think it would smart to lie to him 'bout it, speakin' he was the one who asked in the first place! I made a judgment call and he seemed to take the news with the maturity we know him for!" Tessa nodded slowly for a minute in reply, her eyes trained on his before she sighed and returned to her seat in front of him. Daryl sighed and rolled his eyes as his hands moved to rest on her thighs instead of wrapped around her waist like they were a few minutes earlier. "Tess, look, I'm sorry, but I didn' think me tellin' him would be such a big thing – tha' it would irk ya this bad! And besides, it wasn' like I told him the nitty-gritty, disgusting details, I jus' told him tha' Merle raped ya, ya left, found out ya were pregnant with him a couple of weeks later and then tha rest is history! And besides, now tha' tha whole damn thing is out, I'm surprised he didn' _already_ know!" Tessa shook her head as she looked down at her hands lying in her lap.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have blown up at you like that, but, I just . . . I didn't want him to know because I thought he would be ashamed of me."

"Ashamed of you? What tha Hell would give ya _tha_' delusion?" He asked with a snort of laughter, and Tessa weakly shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, probably because he adores you and something made me wonder that, maybe if he knew that I had someone else other than you and Sam, that - even if it was against my will . . ." She gave a shrug. "I wouldn't be someone he would want as his mother – I don't know, it's stupid - forget I said anything." She shook her head and waved her hand dismissively through the air and they stayed in silence for a moment before she felt Daryl's arms wrap around her again, where he pulled her close to him, his chin descending onto her shoulder again.

"Now, what did I tell ya once a long, long time ago back when we were still at tha quarry – the night we first slept together? I told ya tha' ya were perfect and ya said tha' ya weren' but ya are, Tess – to me, to our son, to our twins, ya _are _perfect! It doesn' matter what tha fuck Merle done to ya or however many men ya've had after me, but . . . if ya not perfect, then ya pretty damn close to it. And I'm pretty sure, as far as being a mother goes, Ethan thinks ya hung the damn moon!"

"Don't be stupid, Daryl, no one's perfect – especially not in this world." She told him with a smile and he chuckled as he planted another lingering, loving kiss on the nape of her neck.

"Babydoll, in this world, ya are my one perfect, shining thing that at the end of the day makes me want to keep living," He grinned and shrugged. "Hell, if ya want to get technical, ya one of four things."

"Fuck, who has time for technicalities?" She asked with a grin and Daryl couldn't help but return it.

"Thatta girl."


	57. Chapter 56

**A lot is going on in this chapter and I'm sorry I haven't updated in quite a while but it was simply just a matter of getting up the energy to write. The chapter, as a whole, I'm not that in love with and it does bounce around somewhat but there's a very important part in it that WILL shape the future of the story a little bit - nothing major, but keep an eye on it. **

**HaloHunter89: Thanks for another great long review - I love them so much :) I feel a little . . . I don't, lighter (?) since having Daryl and Ethan talk. I feel like, how I've written them, Ethan will be the only person that can get through to Daryl at times and especially at this time, I think he got through to him. And yeah, I'm pretty sure that whether or not he realizes it, that Ethan might have earned himself Merle's respect. Not just anyone can have the balls to just stand there and cold-cock Merle Dixon in the face - let alone his brother's fourteen-year-old son ;)**

**As always, HermioneandMarcus and Smittendebs, thank you for reading and reviewing - keep them coming :)**

**With love, as always!**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - I also might have stolen Carol's scene with Andrea and put it with Tessa, but do I look like I care? ;)**

* * *

"Ethan, baby, will you do me a favor and go see if Glenn and them need any help with the watch? We're a little strapped today and I'm sure he could use the help."

Ethan nodded at his mother's request as he hefted the strap of his rifle a little higher on his shoulder before turning around and heading towards the door leading to the outside world. Tessa was standing in the common room, sorting through the ammunition and taking a tally on how much food they had left with Maggie and Beth and didn't even look up when she heard Seth give a little laugh. Things were still tense around the prison, even when it was pretty obvious that the Governor wasn't going to launch an attack anytime soon but Tessa still found herself swamped with things to do. Ammunition needed to be tallied up daily, as did how much food, formula and diapers they had (even though diapers weren't that high on the list of things they needed to exactly worry about. If it boiled down to it they would simply just go back to the old way of the cloth diaper). Laundry needed to be done, the babies needed taking care of, Merle and Rick still needed to be kept a careful eye on as well and Daryl . . . Daryl still needed to apologize to Rick.

But like _that _was actually gonna happen.

"Seth Williams, if all you insist on doing today is to stand somewhere looking pretty, then you can at least you can go help with the watch or something of the sort. If not, then I'm sure we can find you something else to do." Tessa spoke up without even looking at him, her voice slightly terse and she could see Seth cross his arms in front of his chest and glance at her from his spot by the gateway leading to the cells, his back planted against the wall.

"Tess, ya might wanna come look at this . . ."

Tessa, Maggie and Beth's eyebrows furrowed in both interest and confusion as Tessa put down the pad of paper and pencil that she had been holding and moved to join him. "What's up?" She asked and with a smirk on his face, Seth gestured up towards the second floor landing. Even though she knew it shouldn't bother her, she still couldn't banish the slight jump her heart made when she saw Carol leaning against a wall talking to Daryl. Her arms crossed in front of her chest and she bit down on the inside of her cheek as the both of them stood there and observed them for a minute, Tessa giving a shrug after a while.

"Its . . . it's nothing. They're just . . ." She heaved a sigh then as she glanced at him. "Daryl was the one who found her right?" She asked him and Seth nodded.

"Yup. He was clearing out one of the lower cell-blocks when he said he stumbled onto her. Wasn't long after you three were kidnapped, actually . . ." His eyes flashed in the light when he noticed just how much on edge Tessa had become when she saw the two of them talking and her arms tightened ever-so-slightly across her chest. Was Carol _seriously _the one crack in their otherwise pretty normal looking relationship? Seth supposed that every relationship, no matter how perfect, had to have its cracks, but _Carol_?

Seth shook his head in bemusement, not quite knowing how to feel about it but he brought himself back down into reality when Tessa quietly asked him what they were talking about. He gave a shrug.

"Beats me . . ." He nodded towards her. "You should go see."

* * *

"You know, I haven't had a chance to say that I'm glad you came back, yet."

Daryl looked up, eyebrows rising in interest when he saw Carol sidle up to stand across from him. He had been sitting on the stairs leading to the guard office, making the arrows that Ethan had failed to make the previous day and deep in his own thoughts when he heard the older woman's voice reach him. He smirked and gave a laugh as he went back to what he had been doing.

"I came back to wha'?" He gestured around them at the prison and gave another laugh. "All this – whatever _this _is? Naw, I didn' come back for this shitheap – I didn' come back for _ya_ or Rick or whoever else. I came back 'cause of ma family – 'cause I couldn' bear to live without 'em anymore," He gave a shrug. "It's as plain and simple as that."

"This . . . _shitheap_, is our home, though," She told him as an interested gleam appeared in her eyes as she moved to take a seat on the stairs beside him. "And so when you came back because you missed Tess and Ethan and the twins, you came home, Daryl, whether you want to admit it or not." Daryl shrugged.

"Maybe . . . but our home's a tomb. It ain' exactly the white farmhouse and horses tha' I had originally envisioned when I first thought of where me and Tess's kids would grow up." She gave a little smile then.

"That's what T-Dog called it," She told him, her voice growing quiet. "And I thought he was right . . . until you found me . . ." She turned a soft look onto him then and immediately Daryl stopped everything he was doing, his male instincts screaming at him _something _about this situation would either get him killed by Tessa or have him sleeping on the proverbial couch later that night (which would probably be one of the cell bunks or the cold floor of the guard office). And that feeling only intensified when his eyes snapped onto Tessa climbing the stairs towards them, a smile on her face.

But it wasn't her normal smile, though, oh no . . . it was a smile that practically screamed that nothing better be going on than them just talking about the weather.

"What are you two kids talking about up here?" She asked them as a note of false cheer crept into her voice and for once, Daryl didn't know how to react. _Nothing _had happened between them - nothing would _ever _happen between them - but he knew by Tessa's body language that, that _probably _wouldn't be the safest thing to say. So instead, he jumped to his feet and wrapped an arm around her waist, where he placed the most loving, warmest kiss he could on the nape of her neck. He felt her relax slightly while he knew Carol tensed.

"Nothin', babydoll . . . jus' chattin'." He told her and her eyes flashed slightly but she gave him a small smile nonetheless as she nodded towards the guard office behind him.

"We're gonna be putting the twins down for their nap in a few minutes . . . you know you're gonna have to help with Aayla, right? Now that your back, she's become positively difficult about getting to sleep by anyone else but you again." She reminded him with a little laugh and he nodded as he gave her a pointed gaze.

"Of course - you know that I would _never_ forget that!" He nodded to where he had been sitting seconds ago. "That was why I was hangin' around up here. I saw ya and Wren get things ready for their nap and I figured I'd sit here and, ya know . . ." He showed her the arrows in his hand. "Finish up the arrows from last night that Ethan didn' for whatever reason." She nodded slowly and he saw her swallow hard as she relaxed a little bit more.

"And Ethan's been wanting to talk to you as well about something. Don't forget about him either." She told him and he sighed.

"Tess, they're my kids. How could I possibly ever forget about them?" He asked her with a laugh and she gave him a tight smile as he bent down and placed another kiss on the corner of her mouth. "How could I ever forget _ya_, ma beautiful girl?" He asked her, his voice barely above a whisper and Tessa's smile grew a little warmer as she returned the kiss with a light peck on his lips.

"Wren and the twins are down in the common room. You might wanna go wait for them down there - I'll only be a minute." She told him and Daryl nodded as he moved past her and jogged down the stairs towards the common room. Tessa buried her hands deep in her front pockets and averted her eyes to the floor as Carol got to her feet as well.

"Tess, I was just thanking him -"

"Look, Carol, I understand that you've been through some things these last couple of months, what with Axel dying and you being lost and then watching T-Dog die for you, but . . ." Her eyes hardened. "But I have too – much more than you have, so please, do me a favor and stay away from Daryl, okay? He's my husband, so he's _my _support system, not yours. He's a father – the father to _my _children, something that I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to compete with anymore, even if you wanted to!" She spoke before giving a laugh and a shrug. "He doesn't want you – he never has, so one last little word of advice, okay? Save yourself some heartache and don't even try to compete with me, because you can't." She spun around then and moved to head down the stairs then but Carol's voice stopped her dead.

"You're right, Tessa. Trying to compete with you would be more than futile – it'd be downright embarrassing!" She told her with a laugh before her lips pursed. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she took a couple of steps towards her. "But right now, Tessa, I think he could use a friend as well as a wife. Sex is amazing for a lot of things, but sometimes people have to talk things out, not hump them into submission."

Tessa's teeth immediately gritted in anger as her hand tightened on the railing of the staircase. She turned around to fully face her again, her body language tense. "For your information, Carol – and I suppose a little shockingly - but me and Daryl do not spend every waking moment together fucking. Hell, half the time at night, the both of us is so Goddamn exhausted from the shit we have to do on a daily basis and from the twins, that sex is the _last _thing on our minds! Granted, when we _can _summon up the energy to sleep with each other's, it's pretty damn good but I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that, now would you?" She asked and immediately saw Carol's face pale slightly before she cut herself off. She closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down before continuing. She had Wren and the twins now that could hear every damn thing she said – she couldn't hop on people with both feet anymore. She had to be more diplomatic now. She had to – as Carol so aptly put it – talk things out.

"And we _do _talk – about shit you don't even have the business of knowing about! And not-to-mention, he has Ethan – he has our son – who he also knows he can talk to and who is more than willing to listen to him whenever he does - which, again, is more than you have the business of knowing about! And when this whole shizzard between him and Rick is finally put to rest, he _will _have a friend!"

Carol looked away then and Tessa gave a sigh then as she slowly climbed the rest of the stairs to the landing. "Carol, honey, we have been cordial to each other since we first made up in the church and I _like _to think that we have developed something of a friendship together. Hell, you _delivered_ my twins and you guided me through that when you didn't have to!" Carol gave her a small smile then and Tessa returned it briefly before continued, "And I like to think that I am a confident woman who is also confident in her relationship, but I am sorry if I don't like the way that you look at my husband sometimes! Hell, would _you_?"

Carol opened her mouth to speak but they were interrupted when a roar of anger split through the air from the common room accompanied by the crashing of pots and other things hitting the cement floor. A stricken look passed between Tessa and Carol before the two women took off as a run down the stairs to the common room, right when Daryl slammed Seth up against the nearby wall, his hands gripping the scruff of his shirt so hard that his knuckles were starting to turn white. The twins were crying, their screams splitting harshly through the air and as Tessa gestured for Beth to help a stricken Wren take the twins into the guard office, she heard Daryl grit out in a voice that was _beyond _angry:

"Ya little _fuckin' shit_!"

"_I'm _a little shit? But . . . I haven't done anything wrong to warrant such a nickname, have I?" Seth laughed with an amused look in his eyes before heaving a sigh. "Well, look, Daryl, I think you have the wrong type of beef with me! But can I make a suggestion? If you want my opinion, I think that you need to _drastically_ accept the fact that you have some pretty bad anger problems -!"

"Ya little -!"

"Daryl!"

"Little shit – yeah, um, where have I heard that before?"

"Seth!"

"Listen here, ya little runt!" Daryl hissed, his teeth gritting with anger as well as his eyes as he brought Seth close to him, ignoring Tessa's more than shocked look as her hands appeared on his arm, trying to yank him off of the much younger man. However, this time, Daryl wasn't budging and that made Tessa feel more than nervous. "Ya take _one _more look at her in a way I don' particularly like and I swear ta _God _that I'll rip ya eyes out by the Goddamn nerves!" Seth gave another laugh then as Daryl finally allowed Tessa to rip him off of the younger man and drag him back a few paces. His eyes were pinned on him and his teeth were still gritted in anger as Seth landed on his feet and gave a shrug.

"It's a free country, ain't it? I can look at whomever I want, can't I? So, knowing that, I'll look at her however I Goddamn want!" He spoke and Daryl's eyes quickly adopted a bloodthirsty gleam as he lunged at Seth again, his hand curling into a fist as he did so. Tessa lunged at him with an alarmed yell, desperate to hold him back but they were all shocked when Merle quickly stepped in-between the two of them, his expressionless face and cold eyes immediately finding Daryl's. Daryl came to an immediate stop to avoid smashing into his brother and Tessa couldn't help but allow herself to release a breath of relief, as did everyone else there. She glanced behind her and saw that the others - Michonne, Carol and Maggie - were standing in the same spots they had been when the whole thing had first started, frozen in either shock or horror. When she turned back, she saw an intense, loaded scene: Seth pinned back against the wall, chest heaving and cold eyes pinned on Daryl's over Merle's shoulder while the eldest Dixon, who was still standing in-between them, had his hands on Daryl's neck, forcing his brother to look at him as his lips moved in fast, indecipherable words as he quickly tried talking him down.

For once, Tessa found herself thanking God that Merle had been there.

Chest heaving, she placed one hand on her waist as the other flew to her head. "What _the Hell _just happened between you two?" She demanded of them, her voice tense and brooking no argument. Daryl's teeth remained angrily gritted as he yanked himself out of his brother's grip and turned to face her. His enraged eyes calmed slightly when they landed on her and she allowed him to take her into his arms and hold her close, the whole movement more as a calming effect than a romantic one. Merle, teeth gritting as well, but in an emotion she couldn't rightly place, grabbed Seth by the back of the neck before he propelled him none-too-kindly in the direction of the door. The younger man sent both Dixons a glowering look over his shoulder before he threw open the metal door and disappearing into the bright outside world beyond.

"What happened between you two?" She asked Daryl again, her voice coming out much calmer as she glanced at Merle who had moved to join them. Her lips pursed in distaste and she opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head, interrupting her before she even began.

"Don' mention it, sweet-pea."

"What jus' happened, Tess," Daryl finally spoke, his voice causing her eyes to fall back onto him as he shook his head. "What jus' happened is that kid just gave me the excuse I needed to fuckin' hate his ever-loving guts!" He hissed before Merle nodded.

"I'll vouch for ya there, little brother. Kid's fuckin' scum," He gave Tessa a pointed look then. "And ya insist on keepin' _me _at arm's length!" He shook his head. "The shit I done ain' _nothin_' compared to what I bet tha' kid has goin' on in his head, Tess - I promise ya tha'!

* * *

Tessa was still reeling from what had gone on earlier that day, when Carl had come running into the cellblock yelling that Andrea was quickly approaching the gates. And likewise, Tessa didn't think she had ever hugged someone as tightly as she did the blonde woman when she first entered the cellblock.

"You have no idea how much we've missed you!" Tessa murmured in clear relief and Andrea laughed a little.

"I didn't think you would be happy to see me, Tess. We, uh . . . we didn't exactly get along back on the farm, remember?" She reminded her and Tessa shook her head as they parted.

"That doesn't matter. We've . . . we've lost so many, Andrea, that seeing _anyone _from that life is almost a Godsend!" Andrea nodded and swallowed hard as she looked around at her surroundings and everyone that was grouped around her, searching for every each and individual face she could remember.

"I can't believe this, Tess!" She marveled and she nodded as she stepped away to move next to Daryl. She had tears filling her eyes and could practically see the grin on Daryl's face as he curled a hand around her hip. She didn't doubt he wouldn't tease her about her happiness to see Andrea later, considering how much she didn't like her back on the farm, but for right now, they were just happy to see someone they thought had been dead.

"Where's Shane?" Andrea eventually asked and immediately, everyone tensed up, their lips pursing slightly. Rick glanced at Daryl who looked down and she swallowed hard and nodded. "T-Dog?" Carol shook her head too and Andrea looked at Rick. "And Lori?" She asked and Tessa felt Daryl's hand tighten around her hip slightly when she felt tears come to her eyes faster.

"She, uh . . . she had a baby girl but . . . she didn't survive." Tessa spoke up in Rick's place as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and Andrea turned her eyes onto her.

"What about you? Did you . . . did you have your baby?"

"There were twins," Daryl replied, his voice quiet and he gave her a small smile, one that she tried her damndest to return. "They're up in the guard office nappin'."

Her eyes fell onto Carl standing with Ethan and her eyes softened as she shook her head. "Carl, I'm so sorry!" She told him and he stayed silent whereas Ethan quickly moved to join Daryl and Tessa. Tessa wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling her son closer to him and she smiled at him too. "You've grown even more, Ethan . . . damn . . ." She told him and Ethan gave a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess so . . ."

"So, you all live here?" She asked and Glenn nodded.

"Here and the cellblock." She turned to glance at him as she pointed in the direction of the open gate.

"There?" He nodded and she took a few steps towards it. "Well, can I go in?"

"I won't allow that." Rick immediately spoke up and he quickly moved to stand in-between her and the opened gate. She gave him a slightly incredulous look.

"I'm not the enemy, Rick." She told him pointedly and he shook his head.

"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up." She gave him a confused look.

"He said that you fired first . . ."

"Well he's lying."

"He killed an inmate who had managed to survive in here," Hershel spoke up, his voice gentle. "Close friend of Carol's . . ."

"And we liked him," Daryl added as Ethan nodded as he turned his eyes onto Andrea.

"Yeah, he was one of us."

"I didn't know anything about that," Andrea told them, a slightly shocked look appearing in her eyes and she shook her head as she returned her eyes onto Rick. "As soon as I found out, I came," She moved to face Tessa then. "I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until after the shoot-out, when I saw you in the arena."

"That was still days ago." Glenn spoke up and she turned around to face him.

"I told you – I came as soon as I could!" She told them as her eyes moved from Glenn to Maggie and back again before she whirled around to face Michonne. "What have you told them?"

Michonne shrugged and shook her head. "Nothing. I didn't have to."

"I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people and now – now, I'm the odd man out?" She asked, her tone betraying how irked she felt inside.

"You almost killed Michonne and he would have killed us and Tessa and Daryl -!" Glenn spoke, a hint of anger underlying his voice.

"Yeah and it would have been with _his _finger on the trigger!" Andrea interrupted him passionately as she pointed at Merle standing not that far away from her. "Hell, isn't _he _the one who kidnapped you guys to begin with? Who beat you and done God knows what else to Tessa?" She sighed when no one deigned to answer her and she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, her eyes met everyone's at some point as she spoke. "Look, I cannot excuse or explain what Philip has done. But I am here trying to bring us together. We _have _to work this out -!"

"There is nothing to work out!" Rick interrupted her with a snap as he crossed the space between them. "We're _going _to kill him. I don't know how and I don't know when, but we will." Andrea shook her head.

"Rick, we can settle this!" She told him, her voice determinedly level. "There is room for everybody at Woodbury for all of you!" She told them and Merle's laughter is what stopped her.

"You know better than that, Blondie." He spoke up, a grin on his face and Andrea shot him a look full of hatred as Hershel turned his gaze onto her.

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate?" He asked. "Did he actually say that?"

"No . . ." She answered him, her voice quiet.

"Then why did you come here?" Rick asked and she glanced at him.

"Because he's gearing up for war," She replied, her eyes settling onto him with an all manner of emotions flickering through her eyes – anger, concern, frustration to name just the ones that Tessa managed to catch. "The people are terrified – they see you guys as nothing more but heartless, bloodthirsty killers! They are training to attack."

"I'll tell ya what," Daryl spoke up, his voice dangerously calm and Tessa's hand appeared on the back of his neck, where she massaged him slightly, trying to calm him down. It worked, but barely. "Next time ya see _Philip_, tell him I'll take his other eye for wha' he put Maggie and Tessa through – for how he put the three of us through that sick, fuckin' game of his."

"We've taken too much shit for too fucking long," Glenn spoke up next. "He wants a war? Well, he's got one."

"Rick," Andrea spoke, turning her attention onto Rick. "If you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's going to happen. He has a _whole_ town!" Rick gave a shrug and she let out a sound of frustration as she turned around and gazed at them all again. "Look at you! You've lost so much already. You can't stand alone anymore. Tess, you know Dale would have looked at this and -!"

Tessa opened her mouth to interrupt her at that moment but Rick beat her to the punch. He moved to stand in front of her, once again reclaiming her attention. "You want to make this right, then get us inside!" She shook her head.

"No!"

"Then we got nothing to talk about -"

"There are innocent people!" She shouted after him, drowning his voice out as he headed for the cells. They stayed in silence then and eventually, Ethan was the one who surprisingly broke it.

"And like my little sister and brother ain't?" He asked her, his voice quiet as he turned interested eyes onto her. He took a few steps towards her, his arms moving to cross in front of his chest, the same as pretty much everyone else there. "Like my girlfriend ain't innocent?" Daryl and Tessa both shot him slightly surprised looks then but they didn't speak when he continued, "Wren hasn't bothered a hair on anyone's head and Danny and Aayla . . . they're babies, Andrea. How can you get more innocent than _babies_?"

Andrea smiled a small smile as she gazed at him. "Dale would be proud of you, Ethan. You've matured a lot." She nodded and Daryl gave a laugh as he wrapped his hand around his son's upper arm and pulled him away. So _that _was what Ethan had been wanting to talk to him about . . .

"Yeah, he is – can I talk to ya?"

Ethan had no choice but to comply as Daryl steered him off and Tessa smiled a tight smile as her as she placed a hand on her back. "Come one, I'll show you the babies . . ." She told her, her eyes meeting a few people's there, but no one reacted as Tessa steered her in the direction of the cells. Silently, she led her up the stairs towards the guard office and when they entered and saw Wren curled up on the bed with a book in her hand, the twins lying contentedly awake in their cradle beside her, Tessa and Andrea smiled.

"Wren, this is Andrea. She's an old friend," Tessa told her and Wren smiled as she got to her feet and shook her hand. "Andrea, this is Wren. She's the daughter of an old friend of mine and is . . . Ethan's girlfriend." Wren shot her a slightly stricken look at her words but Tessa simply smiled and winked at her. Wren relaxed as Tessa's hand flattened on her back. "Can you do me a favor and go get Judith for me? Andrea wants to meet the babies before you go and we need to Judith to do that." Wren grinned.

"Little Ass Kicker, you mean?" She asked and Tessa nodded and laughed as Andrea shot her a look of amused confusion.

"It took a while to name her and in the meantime, Daryl nicknamed her." She explained and Andrea nodded in understanding as she moved to take a seat on the bunk as Wren left the guard office. Andrea continued to grin as well as Tessa as she picked up Danny and handed her to her. "Aayla Dae Dixon is my daughter's name and this one . . ." She spoke as Andrea gently took him from her, Tessa swallowing hard as she did so. "Is named is Daniel Dale Dixon." She told her and Andrea immediately shot her eyes onto her,

"Dale?" She asked her with a look of interest and Tessa nodded.

"Yeah. Daryl and I both agreed that since Dale had been such a huge part of our lives, that he deserved . . . a thank you, of sorts. And I know that it's Danny's middle name and not his first, but I thought . . ."

"He'd like it," Andrea finished for her, her voice quiet and gentle and Tessa nodded. Andrea swallowed hard as she returned her eyes onto Danny being cradled in her arms. "No, actually he wouldn't like it . . . he'd be _honored_. He'd be honored knowing that he meant that much to you." She spoke as a tear slid down her cheek and Tessa nodded in agreement. Andrea gazed down at them both for a moment before smiling. "They're absolutely precious, Tess . . . and Daryl?" Tessa grinned and laughed.

"He's head over heels in love with them. I couldn't have asked for a better father for them." She told her and Andrea nodded as they heard the pounding of Wren's feet on the metal stairs before she appeared holding Judith. Andrea grinned when she saw the baby and Tessa gently took Danny from her as Wren handed her Judith. After depositing Danny back into the cradle beside his sister, she found Andrea's eyes on her.

"What happened to Lori?" She asked and Tessa's face fell as she swallowed hard.

"She died . . . during a C-Section. I, uh . . . I had to do it. Carl had to -"

"Oh my God, Tess, that's horrible!" Andrea breathed, interrupting her once she got the picture. She returned her eyes to Judith and Tessa nodded solemnly in agreement. Even Wren seemed to carry a saddened air upon the mention of Lori. "T-Dog died leading Carol to safety during an attack."

"And Shane?" She asked her, turning a slightly hopeful look onto her and Tessa smiled a small smile.

"Rick killed him," She told her and continued as Andrea turned a stunned look onto her. "The night we left the farm, we figured out that the whole Randall thing had been a lie. Shane did it to kill Randall, because he wanted to all along, and then use it to try and kill Rick."

"Shane loved Rick." Andrea spoke and Tessa shook her head.

"Shane loved Lori, honey." She gently corrected her and Andrea shook her head.

"Rick's become cold . . . so damn cold – unsteady, you know?" Tessa reluctantly nodded in agreement as she averted her eyes to the ground.

"He . . . he has his reasons." She glanced at Wren as Andrea handed Judith back to her. She gave her a smile as the young woman turned around and headed back to replace her in her cradle. "The Governor - you need to do something." She told her and Andrea nodded.

"I am, Tess - I am." Tessa shook her head as she took a seat on the bunk beside her and took her hands. Her eyes found hers, unwaveringly in the slight gloom.

"You need to sleep with him, Andrea. Give that man the greatest night of his life. Get him to drop his guard and then when he's sleeping, you can end it – end _this _before it even begins!" Andrea shook her head as she gazed at her.

"Tess, how could you -?"

"Sometimes, Andrea, to do what is the best for everyone, you must do things that you otherwise would never do. And as a woman, we have a great weapon – a weapon that can build a man up or tear him down," She swallowed hard as she gripped her hands a little bit tighter. "Honey, you need to tear this man down – and fast!"


	58. Chapter 57

**Okay, here's the thing: I know this chapter deals with a somewhat sensitive issue but I wrote it in a way that hopefully is not too much in your face about it. And as I wrote this, I had SO many doubts if this was how I wanted to go about doing this issue but I think once I got to the end, that I tied it up in a way that won't seem too rushed for you guys. That doesn't mean its my favorite chapter - except for the ending, I think there's something missing with it - but I don't know, it could just be me being my own worst critic as always, so I'll let you guys be the judge. If you guys want me to go back and revamp this chapter then just PM me or review me - otherwise, its probably staying this way :)**

**HaloHunter89: I almost panicked when you didn't review! Seriously, I thought my computer didn't do something right and the chapter wasn't published for some reason, so I breathed a sigh of relief when I finally got your review. And if that part threw you for a loop, then chances are this one will too. Our thought processes seem to run pretty much along the same line so I wouldn't be surprised if how this chapter plays out, isn't entirely shocking to you, but then again, I could be wrong :)**

**wickedclownsmile: To answer your question, I think I will, mainly because that's what I've been doing so far anyway. I can tell you that I do intend to throw you guys for a loop and introduce a character that you guys will probably not be expecting at ALL and CERTAINLY one that Tessa and Ethan never would expect see again too, so! Keep reading, keep reviewing and I hope you stick around until the next season :)**

**Luv ya bunches!**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - Sorry if I wrote Merle a LITTLE OC - again, writing this chapter was pretty difficult, so yeah. Also, this chapter takes place during the "Clear" episode where Rick, Michonne and Carl go on a run to get more guns – this is what happens back at the prison in the meantime. So yes, we ARE progressing through the episodes :)**

* * *

"Know what ya gonna do wit 'em yet?"

"Shut up Merle. I got enough on ma mind as it is right now – I don' need ya followin' me 'round jus' 'cause ya bored."

"Ya should kill him."

"I may be a lot of things, but I ain' a cold blooded murderer -!"

"Oh is tha' true?" There was a laugh as he was interrupted. "So wha' do ya call wha' ya did to our old man? Did he jus' . . . _run_ into tha' strategically placed hatchet over and over again?"

"That was different . . ."

"Well how is now any different, baby brother? Better get rid of tha kid and get him outta tha' way than let him stick 'round and play out those twisted thoughts of his in his head 'til tha day when he actually acts on 'em. Hell, ya saw how he was lookin' at her . . . I may be twisted but I ain' tha' twisted – tha's jus' plain _sick_!"

Blue eyes met brown ones then and the two Dixon brothers shared a look that appeared wholly expressionless to other people but were largely understandable to the two brothers that shared them. "Suppose tha' we did - how we gonna do it? Ya know damn good and well tha' he ain' goin' anywhere alone with us. Anywhere here in the prison and we'd be found out quicker than anythin'! Gunshots echo unless we do it quiet."

Merle shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and moved to lean on his shoulder against the wall that Daryl himself was leaning on his back against as well. The both of them turned a cold gaze onto the boy in question and Merle thoughtfully ran his fingers over his lips before he answered. "Naw, ya right, here is too risky. We'll take him huntin', instead. If he won' go alone with us, fine, then we'll take tha' boy of ya's too."

"Merle, ya know tha' ain' happenin' -!"

"Now cool ya jets, baby brother, and let me finish! We take him huntin' – take ya boy with us too so he doesn' think anythin's wrong. I . . . 'hear' a noise off in the woods some ways – ya send Ethan out to investigate, leavin' us alone with tha kid. After tha' . . ." Merle cocked an amused brow and grinned then. "It's jus' a matter of -" He placed a finger-gun to his temple then. "Tick, tick . . . _boom_." His thumb flicked downwards at the 'boom' and Daryl nodded, although he couldn't help but swallow heavily.

"We can' tell anyone tho' . . . Tess, Ethan . . . _her_, especially. If we do . . . God only knows what's gonna happen and ain' nobody gonna listen to us when we say tha' we did it to keep her safe! We're gonna have to think up an excuse and _fast_, especially if we bring Ethan along!" Merle gave a laugh at his warning and slapped a hand against his shoulder.

"Oh come on, Darlina, I've been doin' these stealthy-like assassination missions for a good long while 'fore ya stole me away from Woodbury like a blushin' bride – I know wha' tha' Hell I'm doin'!" His eyes flashed in the slightly gloom. "Ya _do _still trust me, don't ya Daryl?"

Daryl gazed at him for a minute before he answered. When he did, his voice was quieter than it had been. "Ya help me do this . . .ya help me keep tha people I think as ma own, safe, then ya'll be one step closer to earnin' ma trust back," He gave a half-shrug then. "Or at least I won' think 'bout killin' ya nearly as much as I already do," He shook his head. "But Tess is another matter. Ya'll have to earn her trust back in an entirely different way and don' be shocked if ya never do. And if this gets out then Ethan ain' exactly gonna like ya any more than he already does."

Merle stood there for a minute, the both of them gazing at Tessa sitting at one of the table with Wren and Beth holding Judith and the twins before he spoke. His voice was as quiet as his brother's was and slightly mournful. "Yah, well, I don' intend on dyin' anytime soon, so there goes my window for earnin' back Tessa's trust, eh?" He gave a shrug then too. "And Hell, ya know I ain' gonna rat! Family is family and ya know how secrets are with us! We're like the deep, _deep _South – we like keepin' shit in tha family!"

Daryl shook his head in disgust at Merle's ill-timed jest as he pushed himself of the wall and glanced at him before he moved off to tell Ethan what they were doing. "Yeah, do me a favor – don' say tha' ever again after this!"

* * *

"So, ya ever been huntin' 'fore, Seth?"

Daryl cast his eyes upwards as Merle spoke - his brother's voice cheerful - and towards the clear blue sky that they could see through the gently moving leaves dangling from the tree branches high above them, and found himself strangely Zen. Considering what they were about to do, he was surprisingly okay with it. Maybe he was more like his father than he thought . . .

"Not really. I went hunting with my dad once before this whole world went to Hell in a hand basket but that was so long ago that I nearly forgot."

Daryl felt the young man's eyes drilling holes into his back and ignored him, just simply concentrated on what he was going to tell Ethan when he came back from tracking the mysterious deer that Merle was about to hear, only to find his best friend and his girlfriend's brother gone.

The sharp crunch of their booted feet against the dried leaves and muck as they moved as silently as they could through the waist-high brush, filled his ears, as well as the wet freshness of the forest after that morning's light shower as it filled his nose and cleared his lungs. Maybe that was why he was so okay with all of this . . . it was occurring in a place that he had long considered his sanctuary – a place he knew like the back of his hand – a place he _knew_ someone could run but they couldn't hide if things went badly.

God, he hoped he was right about this . . .!

"Actually, I kind of . . . I was kind of shocked when you guys invited me along." His voice came again and Daryl could see Merle open his mouth in reply but he beat him to the punch.

"Consider it an olive branch, Seth . . ." He replied to him, his voice calm and level if not a little quiet as his hands tightened ever-so-slightly on the black crossbow in his hands. He could see the expressionless look that he knew Ethan had pinned to his back – an expressionless look filled with mounting suspicion.

"Deddy, is everything okay?" He asked but Daryl didn't get a chance to answer him. Merle took that loaded question as his cue to come to a sudden stop, shushing everyone as he did so by holding up his hand. A look crossed his face not entirely dissimilar from a Hound-dog who had sensed a rabbit in the nearby brush and Daryl nodded towards him, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"What'cha hear?" He asked, his voice lowering substantially, and Merle's eyes crossed with his.

"I think I heard a deer – off that ways if I'm not mistaken." Daryl nodded and his eyes fell onto Ethan as he nodded in the general direction.

"Go check it out Ethan, will ya? We'll loop around and meet ya. If it was a deer, hopefully we'll flank it. If not . . . we'll see ya in a minute." Ethan nodded as he immediately headed off and it was then that Daryl's eyes mistakenly crossed paths with Seth's. He could have sworn that his eyes were as expressionless as the dead's, but maybe that was what tipped him off – that no one's eyes should ever be that expressionless. That or Daryl wasn't keeping them as expressionless as he wanted to think he was.

"Hey, Ethan, I'll come with ya, okay? Makes sense to use the buddy system, now doesn't it?" He asked with a laugh and Merle gave a laugh as well as Ethan turned around to face his friend. The oldest Dixon outstretched a hand towards him.

"Yah, no offense, but Ethan's been huntin' and trackin' since he was yay-high to a beanpole from wha' I've heard! And wit a deer, ya want to be as quiet as possible – don' wanna scare it, ya know? Ya might lose it, then," He nodded towards Ethan. "Let him go alone – we'll be in shoutin' distance – he'll be fine. And besides, _shit_!" He gave another laugh and a grin then as he glanced at Daryl. "Little Darlina here has fuckin' ESP when it comes to his kids anyhow - he'll know if somethin' amiss!"

Daryl had never once been so thankful in his life for smooth-talkin', quick-on-his-feet Merle, because Ethan immediately nodded in agreement. "He's right Seth. We need meat and if this is a deer, then we can't take any chances. It'd be better if I go alone - I'm quiet and no offense, but you could wake the dead with your movements through here!" He told him with a laugh and Seth stood there and gazed at him for a moment before slowly – reluctantly – nodding.

"Okay . . . see ya on the flip-side, okay?" He told him and Ethan nodded and smiled comfortingly. His eyes crossed with Daryl's then as he turned around and a look passed between them – a look that Daryl couldn't rightly decipher. However, he could dwell on it long, for Ethan was off and moving as quietly through the brush as humanely possible as he headed off in the direction that Merle had reported the sound coming from.

Daryl nodded. "Okay, he's off – come on, we'll loop around . . ."

Merle nodded in agreement as the two of them set off, their ears pricking slightly when they finally heard Seth's booted footfalls behind them again. For a minute, they thought he had chosen to follow Ethan instead of them – something that would have drastically upset what they had set out to do, but he didn't.

_Don' know whether to pity the kid for his blind stupidity or think he deserves wha's comin' to him even more!_

Daryl couldn't hear his brother's thoughts but he stopped when he did and he didn't need to be a physic to understand that the line was soon coming to an end for the kid walking behind them.

"Ya know wha' I've never understood, Seth?" Merle asked as a laugh appeared in his throat when he turned around to face him. Daryl turned slowly as well and he saw a look of mistrust immediately appear in the kid's eyes as his body tensed and his heart jumped up into his throat. "Why brothers want to diddle their own sisters, especially when they have other prime real estate readily available to buy!" Daryl knew he was referring to Beth but stayed quiet as his brother continued: "'Cause, ya know, I might not be tha most morally responsible man here – jus' ask Tess tha'! But ya _sister – _tha' cute little Wren?" Merle shook his head, a look of disgust and slight anger appearing in his eyes. "Now tha's jus' plain _wrong_."

"I don't know what the fuck you two are talking about -!"

"Tha's bullshit, Seth, and ya know it!" Daryl snapped, interrupting him mid-sentence, and a look of anger speared through his eyes when Seth's eyes landed on him. He shook his head. "Tha way ya were lookin' at Wren yesterday . . . I know what tha' look's all 'bout, ya little shit – don' think I don'! Tha's tha look I give Tess when I _know_ she's gonna be in the mood for somethin' later that night. Tha's the look a fair amount of men have given their women in the history of this camp but tha' shit . . . tha way ya were lookin' at tha' little girl yesterday . . . there ain' no way in Hell tha', tha' shit's gonna fly – not with us and certainly not with me!"

Seth gazed at them for a minute before heaving a sigh and giving a shrug. "I would say that you guys don't know what the Hell you're talking about again, but something tells that, that won't fly either, will it?" His eyes hardened as he gazed at Daryl. "So let me ask you this: I ain't exactly going to be walking out of these woods alive, ain't I? You're gonna put one of those crossbow bolts through my head and then dump my body somewhere like I'm a sack of rotten potatoes, aren't you?" He shook his head then, not waiting for Daryl or Merle to reply before he continued: "What are you going to tell everyone when I don't come back? What are you going to tell Ethan when you finally meet up with him and I'm not with you guys? What are you going to tell Wren when you three go back to the prison and her big brother ain't with you guys?" He grinned then as he held out his arms and took a step closer to them. "What are you going to tell that hot piece of ass Tessa when the son of her dearly departed best friend don't come back with you guys? You think she's gonna get on her knees in front of you, Daryl, and suck your cock knowing that you killed m -!"

Seth found his words abruptly cut off when Merle closed the distance between them in two big strides, his hand closing ominously around his throat when he did so, and before an quickly enraged Daryl could even _think _about doing anything. A look of rage was in the older Dixon's eyes as well as the younger, and he shook his head as he let out a cold laugh.

"If I were ya, I would 'ave thought twice 'fore talkin' 'bout Tess in front of us that ways," He told him, his voice coming out dangerously quiet and he could feel the kid's pulse begin to race underneath his thumb as it lay over his jugular. He felt him swallow hard underneath his hand and fought the urge to grin. "Hell, ya better be lucky tha' I 'ave a hold of ya and not ma brother right now. Daryl would 'ave _done _torn ya scumbag throat out, ya sick little shit!"

"And don' ya worry what I'm goin' to tell ma family – that's _ma_ worry!" Daryl added, his angry eyes catching his as he continued to stand there with Merle's hand around his throat. He shook his head, though, a slightly curious look appearing in his eyes to walk hand-in-hand with his anger. "But I gotta ask somethin' . . . when did ya start lookin' at Wren like that, 'cause ya used to not to. Was it when her and Ethan really started developin' somethin'? Was it when they'd started meetin' in secret tha' ya started to grow a little jealous? Or did ya finally go swan-divin' over tha deep end one mornin' and the first thing ya wanted to do was fuck ya little sister?"

Seth grinned and let out a laugh then. "Kill me if you guys want – it doesn't really matter to me – but please, don't presume to know me – how I _think_, because no matter what I tell you, I'm still going to die even though its all basically true - _everything_. So just fucking do it and get it over with."

Merle grinned then and gave another laugh as he nodded. "Yah, well, then I'd say it's ya lucky day, kid . . ."

All Seth could see was Merle's fist flying at his face faster than a speeding bullet before pain exploded behind his eyes and everything went dark.

* * *

Ethan's eyes - the same beautiful blue as his father's - scanned the ground before him, looking for anything that resembled deer tracks or for any sign that a deer had come galloping through the high brush. His steps were light and silent as he moved and when he heard the rustling in the trees somewhere off to his left, his ears immediately picked it up. He twirled around when he heard the crashing through the brush, his bow held up and ready, and his heart almost stopped when he saw that it was only Daryl and a bloody nosed Merle.

"What the Hell's wrong with you? And where's Seth?"

"Little shit snuck up on us when we were walkin'. He smacked me in tha nose when Daryl's back was turned and ran off before he could shoot him."

"Where is he?"

"I don' know – didn' ya jus' hear what I said?"

"He's right – he's probably long gone, Ethan." Daryl told him and Ethan rolled his eyes.

"_No_, I mean, where did you stash his body?"

The silence that came then was all-pervading and for a moment, Daryl and Merle thought they had heard him wrong. They gazed at him in stunned shock for a minute, their eyes wide with the same emotion as Ethan continued to gaze at them expectantly.

"_Well_?"

"Ethan, how did you -?"

"I'm your son, ain't I, deddy? And what do you always say – Dixons are nothing if not observant? Hell, I knew something was up the split second you said to bring Seth huntin' with us," He shook his head, his wide eyes catching his father's, where he held them. "Huntin's always been _our_ thing together; when you tell me we're going huntin', then I know no one's going but us two – that was your mistake! Even bringing _him_ with us set off something inside my head!" He explained, nodding to Merle as he did so before he shook his head then. "And I ain't stupid, deddy, you know I ain't! I saw the way he was lookin' at Wren and I knew what you guys were doing when he made up that 'deer' sound and then you told me to go track him while you three looped around to meet me. It was clever, I'll give you that, but why do you think I jumped to tell him to stay with you guys when he wanted to come with me?" He asked and Merle stood there gazing at him for a minute before slowly shaking his head in slight wonderment.

"Well I'll be damned! Daryl, I do think ya kid's been playin' us like a fiddle since we left the damn prison!" He remarked with a hint of respect echoing in his eyes and Daryl shook his head.

"Ethan, ya mean ya . . . _knew _all along?" He asked and Ethan nodded.

"Like I said, it wasn't exactly hard to figure it all out if I stayed observant. And besides, like I said, I saw the way he was starting to look at Wren and I . . . I couldn't allow that," He swallowed hard as he turned a hard look at his father. "I . . . I think I love her, deddy. I couldn't stand by and let him look at her that way – not her. _Not. Her_."

They stayed in silence for a while until Daryl pursed his lips and nodded. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and Ethan almost didn't hear him over Merle spitting out a big wad of blood from his mouth and onto the muddy forest floor. "We dumped him a little ways that way – far enough in to where nobody's gonna find him for quite a while. He ain't comin' back, neither – we made sure of it."

"What are ya gonna tell momma and Wren when we get back?" He asked as he swallowed hard in slight nervousness. Daryl pursed his lips for a minute before swallowing hard as well.

"I'm gonna tell ya momma the truth. And together, we'll figure out what to tell Wren."

* * *

At first, when Daryl sat down and explained to Tessa later that afternoon just _why _Seth was not with them when they returned and just _why _Merle came back with a suspiciously Shane-esque bloody nose, she thought it was a joke.

_"Great, now we gotta figure out how to explain this to tha others. Any suggestion, baby brother?"_

_"Hey, bro, stand still, will ya?"_

_"Wait – wha' are ya doin'?"_

_"What does it look like I'm doin'? I'm takin' a leaf out of Shane's book!"_

But as he explained it to her – bit by painful bit – that Seth had been giving Wren looks that neither her nor Merle or Ethan particularly liked – and that the only solution they could reach within short notice was to kill him - her grin disappeared and her eyes darkened. She didn't react after a while as he continued explaining things to her beyond asking the occasional quiet question and when he was done, she got shakily to her feet, mentioned something about having to go check on the twins, and then left, without another word.

And when she came back a few minutes later, her still darkened eyes downcast to the floor, she stood before him, her arms crossed in front of her chest and her teeth gritted.

"And Ethan knew all along, he just didn't choose to reveal to you that he knew until the end, right?"

"He's incredibly smart, Tess. He kept it from us the entire time. Hell, he almost played both of us for a fool!"

"And you're absolutely _sure _that Seth was looking at her that way?" Daryl nodded.

"Would I lie about this?"

"I don't know, Daryl. You did kill your father, after all . . ."

"Tha' was for a damn good reason and ya know it, Tess! Just like this time was for a damn good reason as well!" He shook his head, his eyes pleading as they gazed up at her. "Ya _know_ how much I see tha' girl as a daughter, Tess! And whether I didn' like the boy or not, he was still her brother and ya know I would have done _nothin_' to risk hurtin' her unless I felt tha' I absolutely had to! And Hell, if we would have pushed him enough, he probably would have confessed to the entire damn thing anyway – he certainly alluded to it somewhat!"

Tessa gazed at him for a minute before she spoke and when she did, her voice was quiet and pensive. "You know, I talked to Maggie . . . and Beth, and Carol too, when I getting the twins their bottles. They noticed it as well – for a while, actually. It hadn't particularly been rubbing them the right way too and when I hinted at what you and Merle had done, they . . ." She looked away before giving a bark of a laugh. "Goddamnit, they were almost _relieved _about it – that he was gone and he wasn't going to be coming back any time soon . . .!" She shook her head as she looked down at the floor again. "And Hell, I think I noticed it too, Daryl, I just didn't want to accept it."

Daryl watched as Tessa weakly shook her head and took a seat beside him. She allowed him to take her hand and entwine their fingers and when she turned a mournful look onto him, he answered her with the same look. "Baby, I knew that boy since he was a _kid_! All while watching him grow up, if you would have told me that he would have been like this – that he would have had those thoughts swirling around in his head, I would have laughed until I was red in the face! Just goes to show how badly people can change . . . and how you never really know a person, right?"

"Wha' are we going to tell Wren? Do we want to tell her tha truth or do we want to keep her in tha dark?" He asked her, his voice gentle and quiet and she turned her eyes onto him. She swallowed heavily and shrugged as he moved closer to her and she allowed him too – readily. "I mean, Tess, I love Wren to death, ya know I do, but . . . I doubt she noticed how badly he had changed – how he was startin' . . . to _look_ at her. Hell, if ya want ma opinion, then I think we should -"

"Lie to her? Yeah, I agree – wholeheartedly!" Tessa interrupted him with a sigh and a nod. "I just don't know what we should tell her, Daryl. Either way – no matter what we say – she's going to be hurt. Whether we tell her you and Merle done away with him because he was starting to view her in a way that was extremely inappropriate for their relationship, or that he just . . . up and left – it's still going to wound her."

They were distracted then by Wren coming out of the guard office, two empty bottles in her hand left over from that morning's feeding, where Ethan met her on the stairs. The grin that immediately appeared on her face when she saw him and the way her eyes immediately lit up like lights on a Christmas tree, made the both of them smile. Daryl laughed a little. "He told me back in the woods that he thought he loved her . . ." He told her, his voice quiet and Tessa glanced at him, a slightly surprised look on her face.

"Daryl, he's fourteen!" She reminded him and Daryl gave another laugh, as well as a shrug.

"So? Tess, we weren' tha' much older than they are when we fell in love, remember? Is it too much to accept tha' maybe our son and Wren will follow in our footsteps? And I mean, Hell, in this day and age, maybe . . . maybe love is more earnest than it was before all this started. I mean, after all, there isn' exactly a high life expectancy rate anymore, so . . . maybe love, when it comes, stays." He gave another shrug. "And, uh . . . maybe with Ethan here, she won' be as hurt by the news as we think. I mean, yeah, he was her brother and she loved him and of course she's goin' to mourn him, but maybe with Ethan, she'll get over him quicker."

Tessa smiled a small smile. "As long as I'm not made a grandmother before the twins are ten, I'm perfectly fine!" She laughed and Daryl grinned and let out a snort of a laugh as he tiredly rubbed his face with his hands.

"Oh, believe me, Tess, me and Ethan have had tha' conversation _many _times! Ya don' have to worry 'bout tha' at all!"


	59. Chapter 58

**Kinda a filler chapter detailing what happens before and after "Arrow in the Doorpost". Ahh, progress . . . love that smell, especially considering we have only three more episodes to go before we hit the so-called "epilogue" of this part. Next part will detail Season 4 and once again, I'm in a dilemma as to put season 4 as a new story or continue it on with this one. Don't know, but I'll probably figure it out later.  
**

**But on a different note - where are my reviewers? I know I haven't been updating that frequently, but college has been a killer and now that midterms are over, it should be winding down a little, workload wise, at least for a week or so. Promise I'll try and update more frequently.  
**

**- Nagiana**

* * *

The crib had been a surprise. It wasn't exactly a huge surprise, but had definitely been a welcome one.

"Hey, Tess, we thought you might like this . . ."

Tessa had been standing with Maggie by the stove in the common room, talking over how much rations they still had, when she heard Carl's cheerful voice come from behind her. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, especially when she saw the broad grin that immediately split across Maggie's face, she turned around, only to let out a gasp of shock when she saw the white crib that was being carried into the common room by him and Michonne. Her eyes widened in the same emotion and for a moment, she could only stand there, stunned by what she was seeing. Yes, her and Daryl had often lain awake at night thinking and talking about going out on a run and picking up things they needed and/or wanted (the crib always being high on their list of wants but not necessities) but quite frankly, with how volatile things were now, they both knew it was most likely never going to happen – a hopeless pipe dream.

But hadn't they survived on pipe dreams alone since this whole thing began? Her, Ethan and Sam heading to Atlanta because it was rumored the military had a hold on things there; their group traveling to the CDC because they wanted answers and were too afraid to stay at the quarry any longer (which is where she _thought_ was where they have conceived the twins, that one time in the shower), or when they moved aimlessly from the destroyed CDC to Fort Benning before finally finding a new home on Hershel's farm while they continued their search for Sophia – which hands down had been the greatest pipe dream of them all!

She was glad to see that the crib could no longer be considered as such – that it was something that was now very much real and very much in her grasp.

And as she stood there and continued to gaze at the white crib in stunned shock – a stunned shock that eventually had Maggie grinning as the younger woman teasingly inquired if she was okay, her hand giving her a comforting rub in-between the shoulder blades as she spoke – Tessa realized that in this world, you really did have to enjoy the little things.

"And cherish the big ones, right?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion as her eyes focused on Carl, and he gave her a small smile and a nod. "W-what . . .?"

"You have to enjoy the little things and cherish the big, right?" He asked her again and Tessa grinned, feeling like the kid had read her mind (or at the very least had been intuitive enough to know what she was thinking about) and nodded as she smiled and held open her arms to him. She thanked him with a grin and a kiss on the forehead as he hugged her back tightly for a minute. When they finally broke apart, she gave Michonne a kind smile as well before she pulled the other woman into a hug as well. Her embrace was tight but fleeting - not at all as lingering as hers had been with Carl.

"Hey, wha's goin' on?"

Tessa's smile broke into a grin then as she turned around, her eyes immediately landing on Daryl's look of curiosity as he walked through the door leading from the outside world to the cellblock, Merle hot on his heels as always and with their customary amount of dead squirrels and rabbits hanging from their belts. Her man was dirty and looked like he had sweat off ten pounds before going to roll around in the mud (and Merle didn't look any better), and normally, Tessa would have wrinkled her nose up in disgust upon seeing him, but at that moment, she didn't care. She gestured to the crib sitting before her and which was still sitting in-between Carl and Michonne, before turning back to him, a playfully smug smile on her face.

"Look who was thinking about us on their gun run!" She told him and immediately, Daryl's eyes widened in the same look of stunned shock that she had carried for a moment when she first saw the white crib too. He was still gazing at it with the same look on his face, even when he undid his belt and handed it to Maggie, who gingerly took it from him before depositing the dead animals on the nearby table beside the ones hanging from Merle's belt that he had so recently placed there as well.

"Is tha' . . . is tha' a _crib_?" He asked and Tessa nodded and let out a laugh as she threw her arms around him in a hug, unheeding of his filthiness or the completely unappetizing smell of dead animals that practically coated him like a second skin, and Daryl numbly wrapping an arm around her waist to hug her back as Carl and Michonne shot each other grins at the comical look on his face. "Where in tha Hell did ya get tha'?" He asked, his eyes falling onto the boy standing before him, and Carl gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Mom's friend owned a baby store not far from where we were at. We stopped by while dad was collecting guns and picked up a few things. We also got one for Judith as well."

Daryl nodded numbly at Carl's words and Tessa planted a kiss on his neck. "It's about time the twins were moved into their own room with Judith, don't you think?" She asked him and he turned his gaze down onto her, where her eyes flashed. "We'd have the guard office all to ourselves, too . . ." She trailed off, her voice sounding as tempting as fresh honey and his lips twitched upwards into a smile as he gave a shrug.

"Truthfully, babydoll, tha whole sleepin' situation wasn' really botherin' me to begin with. Actually, I'm more surprised by the way ya -"

"Eww – oh my God, Daryl, your positively _filthy_!" Tessa interrupted him as she took an immediate step away from him, her nose wrinkling upwards in disgust as her eyes quickly scanned him head to toe. He rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Yah, tha' ya hadn' had _tha' _reaction yet."

She ignored his words and she continued to stand there, almost as in stunned shock that she had _actually _hugged him when he was looking and smelling like that. It was as if it suddenly occurred to her that she had been hugging up on him when he was in a state that normally had her on the other side of the cellblock from him until he at least took a shower and that alone was a source of amusement for the others present there watching them. It wasn't a secret that Tessa was a little bit of a clean freak – dirt and sweat on a guy didn't _nearly _turn her on as when the man in question stepped forth from the shower sparkling clean and smelling like Irish Spring soap!

"Yeah – that's a no go, Mr. Dixon. You are _going_ to go take a shower before dinner, let _alone _before you even _think _of crawlin' up in the bed with me tonight feelin' frisky and wantin' some!" She told him and Daryl let out a laugh as he gestured to the crib.

"Ya think ya might need some help movin' -?"

"Oh for the love of God, Daryl, I might be a woman, but I ain't helpless! Wren and I can more than handle moving a crib into the cellblock and even if we couldn't, we have an ample supply of help! Now go take that shower – you ain't getting out of it!"

Daryl knew he wasn't. He remembered all too well the moment's growing up when he had gotten home in the wee hours of the morning from various hunting trips or from working whatever dead end job he had at the time, and tried crawling in the bed with her - where all he wanted to do was sleep - only for her to kick him out of the bed at two in the morning while all the while snapping at him to go take a shower first. He supposed he should be long used to it but it didn't mean he didn't drag his heels a little bit.

Daryl shot her a look that was half irritated, half amused, before turning around on his heels and heading for the barred door that led to the showers. He shot Merle a look of bloody murder when his older brother immediately shot him a grin before cracking an imaginary whip through the air while simultaneously doing the sound effect that accompanied the motion. Tessa shot the eldest Dixon a look as well before snapping his name reprimandingly. Merle glanced at her and rolled his eyes as a tense grin remained on his face.

"Ya can calm those perfect tits of ya's, sweet-pea - its jus' me givin' ma baby brother a hard time!"

"Yeah, well you could do that over _there_ – we need squirrels and rabbits gutted and dressed before dinner!" She told him, her voice cold and brooking no argument as her hands appeared on her hips, and Merle stood there for a moment, looking as if he _maybe _wanted to say something back, but eventually – and wisely – thought better of it. He simply shook his head in slight wonderment instead, before he grabbed up the two belts lying out on the nearby table and made his way for another on the other side of the room, where he could work in peace.

"Fucking scumbag . . ." Tessa muttered under her breath and with a shake of her head, and Maggie shot her a grin as she returned back to the food that was being headed up on the stove. "Where's Wren?"

"She was with Ethan." She replied and Tessa nodded.

"Where was she with Ethan, exactly?"

"He had watch duty, so she went out there to keep him company."

"Now don' ya worry none, sweet-pea, we passed 'em on tha way back in. Tha kid ain' doin' nothin' he shouldn' be doin'; little gentleman, he is." Merle assured her from his spot on the other side of the common room, his eyes remaining pinned on the squirrel he was currently gutting, and Tessa let out a huff of air.

"That's . . . shockingly comforting." She muttered with a roll of her eyes although the words were more truthful than she wanted to admit. Maggie continued to grin as she set the spoon in her hand down before wiping her hands off on the nearby rag.

"Don't worry, hun, I'll help ya."

Tessa shot her a thankful look as the two women moved to pick up the crib that was standing by itself where Carl and Michonne had left it. The two were gone, probably off to either see if Rick or Glenn needed help with anything or to _avoid _Rick or Glenn who might need help with anything. The two of them seemed like they had an innumerable abundance of shit to do or which needed help with, too.

"God, this thing is heavier than it looks!"

Tessa grinned at Maggie's slightly grunted words as the two women picked up the bulky item and then lugged it through the opened door into the cellblock. For once, Tessa didn't feel Merle's eyes on her whenever she walked away from him and for that, she was glad. Nothing distracted a Dixon more than cutting something open.

They saw where Carl and Michonne had already placed Judith's in one of the bunkless cells and they quickly moved towards this cell with the crib being carried in-between them. Beth was inside, standing in front of the baby's crib and gently rocking a squirming Judith back and forth, her eyes growing wide when she saw the women moving quickly towards her with the crib.

"Are the twins going in here too?" She asked in curiosity, and Tessa nodded as they moved in and placed the crib down on the floor where they wanted it, Beth expertly moving out of the way. Tessa wiped the sweat from her brow with the bottom of her shirt before answering her. It was an unusually balmy day – no wonder Daryl and Merle came in looking like two pigs fresh from the sty.

"Yup. We thought we'd move them down here with Judith so that all the babies could be in one place. It'd be easier to tend to them that way; easier to keep one sleeping schedule and easier feeding schedules - you name it, it'll make it easier!"

"Yeah and like you and Daryl getting the guard office all to yourselves again isn't a pretty sweet deal too, right?" Maggie grinned beside her and Tessa shot her a grin as well over her shoulder before giving a shrug.

"Yeah, but I don't think that's exactly something we should be examining right now." She told her with a grin and a wink and Maggie shook her head in good-natured bemusement as Tessa heaved a sigh and pointed towards the general direction of the guard office. "You want to help me relocate them?" She asked, and Maggie nodded as she followed her from the cell then, where it wasn't long before they reached the stairs.

"You mind if I asked you a question?"

Tessa's eyebrows furrowed slightly at Maggie's words and she nodded. "Of course – what's wrong?" Maggie gave a half-shrug.

"Oh nothing, it's just . . ." A slightly uneasy look appeared on her face then. "You and Daryl don't use protection when you . . . you know . . . do you?" She asked and Tessa immediately felt something close to a hot blush burn across her cheeks. She opened and closed her mouth for a minute before giving a half-shrug and shaking her head.

"We, um . . . n-no, we don't."

"And you guys don't worry about getting pregnant again?"

Tessa gave a laugh. "Maggie, it's not exactly like we can go out to Wal-Mart and buy condoms whenever we wanna have sex! And likewise, I can't really go out and get birth control anymore either!" She gave another half shrug. "And quite obviously, we're not gonna stop having sex just because there's always that fear that I could get pregnant, we just . . ." She stopped for a while and looked away for a minute. When she finally turned back to her and spoke again, her voice was low and quiet, knowing that it was quite easy for words to carry in the cellblock. "_He _just . . ." She rolled her eyes then before quickly adding: "Daryl just doesn't always bottom out in me, you know?"

"You mean, he . . .?" Tessa nodded.

"Yeah, he . . . pulls out a lot of the time. Believe me, it sucks, but we have to do it sometimes. I don't exactly want another baby at my age and he's perfectly content with the three he has now, so . . . we have to be cautious if we don't want to risk it, which doesn't happen that often, let me tell ya! When it comes to that topic, neither of us exactly wants to play Russian Roulette, you know?" She asked with a laugh and Maggie nodded as she turned her eyes onto the young woman beside her, a look of interest flickering through them in the meantime. "Why do you ask?"

Maggie looked away for a moment before turning back to her, swallowing heavily as she did so. "Glenn's mentioned . . . he's mentioned that he might wanna have a baby pretty soon – after all this shit with the Governor is through, I mean." She confessed and Tessa's eyes immediately grew wide with shock, a look that Maggie nodded glumly at.

"Yup, that was my reaction exactly."

"Well, what do _you_ want?"

Maggie weakly shrugged. "I don't know, Tess, I mean . . . I _want _to have kids eventually – I _want _to have the semi-happy peaceful family life that you and Daryl have, but . . ." She heaved a sigh. "But with the way things are going now, what with the Governor wanting to kill us, and with Lori dying and you surviving your births, I just . . . I don't wanna risk it, you know? Call me a coward, but I don't wanna do something that could get me killed!" Tessa nodded in half-hearted agreement as she stopped on the stairs, Maggie stopping with her, and the two women turned to gaze at each other then.

"I can completely understand your worries and fears, Maggie – I've had them! But when I was pregnant with the twins, me and Daryl wanted them so badly, that me dying simply didn't occur to us nearly so much as it had occurred to Lori. And besides, it wasn't exactly like we could ask for a puppy instead at that point in time, huh? Whether or not I wanted them or not, I was _going_ to have them so I mine-as-well have gotten used to it if I didn't already want them – which I did!" She spoke with a laugh before giving Maggie a soft look. "But honey, you have to talk to Glenn about this. Whether you want a baby or not, whether he wants a baby or not, you have _got _to talk this out with him. You gotta let each other know what you're feeling, especially with something like this. Like you said, this is a huge and _dangerous _decision. You got to be committed to each other body and soul for this to work." Maggie nodded slowly.

"I know, and I'll do that. It's just . . ." She gave a shrug then. "I feel like ever since Woodbury, he's . . . he does not really want to listen to me, you know? He knows what happened there with me but he still . . . he still wants to treat me like I'm porcelain, and I'm not, Tess, I'm not! You know I'm not!" She told her with a shake of her head and Tessa nodded in agreement.

"I know you're not, honey. Your strong – one of the strongest here, probably, and Glenn has to understand that. Hell, he's gotta be willing to listen to you if he wants a baby. You know . . ." She gave a half-shrug. "He's has to be a Daryl in this – be 100% committed for a pregnancy – instead of half like Rick did. In this day and age, it's almost mandatory."

* * *

That next morning had been the morning where Rick went to meet with the Governor and try to work out a deal with him that did not end in violence. Daryl and Ethan went with Rick and Hershel, Daryl judging there to be more than enough people left to hold down the fort while they were gone. But when they arrived back, they saw Rick was pissed and at his wit's end, and Tessa found that she had chewed her nails down to the stumps worrying for Daryl and their son, especially after the shit she had heard Merle constantly sprout off with during the entire time they were gone.

"How did it go?" She asked when Rick first entered, Daryl, Ethan and Hershel hot on his heels and he wordlessly shook his head as he quickly moved past her. He had been ignoring her and avoiding her since the whole thing with Daryl and while she knew for a fact that things were patched up between the two men, she could see that Rick had changed his attitude towards her - or at least _tried_ to. That didn't mean it didn't frustrate her, though, and she opened her mouth, stunned, as she turned to watch him go. However, she quickly recovered when she felt Daryl's hand gently hook under her elbow and turn her to face him. "Baby, what's going on?"

"A lot of shit, babydoll."

"Like what?"

"Where to start? Well, for one, deddy had to get into a damn _pissin_' contest with one of the Governor's men there!" Ethan immediately snapped when he moved up to them, his weary, tense eyes settling onto his father and Tessa's eyes snapped onto Ethan before the fell back onto Daryl again. Daryl simply gave a nonchalant shrug.

_"Pussy . . ."_

_Daryl grinned. "Well, ya know what they say, kiss-ass . . . ya are what ya eat and I happen to do tha' a lot, so . . ." He gave a shrug. "But somethin' tells me ya ain' exactly gettin' to do tha' much anymore, which leaves ya with nothin' to do but kiss the boss' ass, so . . . doesn' tha' make ya a 'kiss-ass'." He gave a half-shrug then, one that Ethan and Andrea rolling their eyes at each other as Morales adopted a slightly red look on his face. "Personally, I think ma nickname's better – it's certainly more fun!"_

And then Daryl's favorite . . .

_"Want one?" Daryl asked as he held out a pack of cigarettes to Morales leaning up against the metal silo nearby, and he shook his head as he allowed his head to fall back against the metal._

_"Naw . . . I prefer menthols."_

_"Douchebag . . ."_

Daryl distinctly remembered the conversations he had, had with the man and as his son spoke, Daryl realized that it _had_ very much been a pissing contest. It was a pissing contest that he hated to say a damn near draw, though.

"Wha' if I did? Wha' 'bout it?" Daryl asked before shooting him a playfully reprimanding look. "Ya sad ya didn' get on it or somethin'?" He asked and Ethan immediately rolled his eyes as he deposited his guns on the table laden with the guns and ammo that Rick, Carl and Michonne had brought back. Wren had joined them by then and her hands sunk deep in the pockets of her back jeans when she finally closed the distance between them. Tessa shot her a kind look as Daryl pulled her in a one-armed hug, one that she readily allowed. Ethan's eyes flitted to her and she gave him a small, gentle smile that they could see calmed him down somewhat. He was still on edge, though and it showed when he turned his attention back onto Daryl.

"Don' flatter yaself, deddy – I wouldn' have gotten into it even if you two sent me an invitation! I'm jus' embarrassed that you thought you had to whip your dick out to the first guy who whipped his out!" He snapped and Daryl let out a bark of a laugh as he released Wren, the young girl moving away in favor of stepping closer to Ethan. Tessa, meanwhile, shot her son an angry look.

"Ethan, that is enough -!"

"Well _excuse_ me, Ethan, if mine turned out to be bigger!"

"Deddy, it was a _draw_!"

"Well even so, he was Spanish, so it couldn' have been tha' big!"

"_Daryl_!"

Wren had a light blush blooming out across her cheeks by then and Ethan let out an exasperated groan as he rolled his eyes. There was a hint of amusement to his eyes and body language, though, that told the both of them that he wasn't nearly as pissed off at his father as he had originally suggested. They did this – they would tease each other, rattle each other's cages – making jokes the entire time – but it never amounted to anything big between them, anger wise. It was simply something Ethan and Daryl did and despite how it normally would have caused growing enmity between two other normal people, between the two Dixons, it seemed to bring them together even more.

"Ah, go on and get! I think Little Bird wants to spend some time with ya anyway!" Daryl eventually diffused the situation with an amused voice and by lovingly ruffling his son's hair. Wren shot him a playfully mean look at her nickname, a look that Daryl teasingly shot back as Ethan jerked himself out of his father's grasp. He did it with a smile, though, and Daryl returned it as the two of them headed off into the cellblock. Tessa watched them go before turning a wary gaze onto Daryl.

"Are you sure about allowing them to do that?" She asked him, and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Babydoll, _we _can hardly do anything in another room without the walls echoing! Wha' makes ya think _they_ can – _in a cell_?" He asked her with a laugh, and as he shook his head. "Naw, Ethan knows what he's doin'. Trust me, they ain' doin' anythin'." Tessa nodded as she turned her eyes back onto him.

"Merle tried to leave today, when we were making sense of all the guns that they had brought back. He tried to go after you." Daryl's eyes widened.

"Are ya serious?" Tessa nodded solemnly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Who stopped him?"

"Beth did, surprisingly. Glenn and him, they got into a fight when Glenn tried to stop him from leaving and she shot a bullet into the air to break things up. The gunshot scared the kids half to death to the point to where it took us a full hour to get them to stop crying, but it got the job done nevertheless." Daryl heaved a sigh and shook his head as he opened his mouth to say something, however, Rick interrupted them by gesturing for everyone to group around him in the cellblock. Tessa and Daryl turned and moved slowly into the block, Daryl's arm looping around her waist as they moved, bringing her back against his front when they stopped, and they saw Ethan and Wren come out of the cell she shared with Beth, looking the exact same as when they went in except with their hands clasped. Tessa shot Daryl a relieved smile and Daryl replied with one that said, 'Well-I-Told-Ya-Didn'-I?'

"So, I met this Governor," Rick announced, nodding his head and looking slightly thoughtful. "I sat with him for quite a while."

"It was jus' tha two of ya?" Merle asked from his spot beside Daryl and Tessa, and Rick nodded in answer. Merle shook his head and heaved a sigh. "We should have gone when we had tha chance, bro." He muttered to Glenn who gave him a mean look as he turned around and headed by into the common room, however, not so far into the common room that he still couldn't hear.

"He wants the prison," Rick spoke up when Merle was done, his eyes moving to linger on each and every one of them for a moment. "He wants us gone - dead, being preferred. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury getting our own back . . ." He trailed off and stayed quiet then for a moment before he nodded resolutely, his eyes landing on Daryl and Tessa then, at Tessa's slightly nervous look and Daryl's more determined one. "We're going to war."

Everyone descended into a heavy silence then as Rick left then for the outer walkway, ignoring Daryl and Tessa as he moved past them and as Tessa numbly turned around, where Daryl took her in his arms. She didn't know how she should feel about that . . . she didn't want to think about how much danger Rick's decision put them in.


	60. Chapter 59

**Another semi-filler chapter. It does lead up to important events in the next chapter though.**

**Considering we only have, oh . . . two or three more chapters to go until we get to the so called "Epilogue" of this part, I have decided that I WILL be creating an entirely different story for part 4, 5 etc. It will be the same story, the parts will just be in another fic-like-thing. I'll let you guys know towards the end, when I've posted it :)**

**Thanks HermioneandMarcus for your review - glad to see your still reading :)**

**HaloHunter89 - Well if someone was looking at my man, would you create a bond with her? Nope, didn't think so! ;). And really, I set on this KNOWING that Tessa would never create a friendship with Carol - that Maggie and Lori would be the women she would gravitate towards because #1: Lori was in the same boat she was and #2: I just think Maggie's awesome. And oh yeah, Merle's death is gonna be pretty cool :)**

**Read, Review and Enjoy!:**

**- Nagiana**

**PS - Sorry for the shortened length, I wanted to give you guys a break because I anticipate the next three (the final two for sure) being kinda long.**

* * *

"It's the only way."

"You gonna tell 'em?"

Rick shook his head before swallowing hard. He glanced at the three people standing around him, Hershel being supported on his crutches beside him while Tessa stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest in front of him with Daryl standing beside her, his crossbow slung across his back. A cool fall breeze blew through, ruffling their jackets and long sleeved shirts and causing Tessa to shiver slightly as her arms crossed tighter in front of her chest.

"Not till after. We have to do it today and it has to be quiet." He answered, his eyes turning onto the man standing in front of him and Daryl nodded in agreement as he glanced at Tessa. She swallowed hard.

"You have a plan, I assume?" She asked and Rick gave a half-hearted shrug as he moved towards her.

"You tell her we need to talk. Can you do that?" He asked and Tessa nodded. "And away from the others, okay?" She nodded and Daryl glanced at Hershel over Rick's shoulder and shook his head as he took a step closer to Tessa and Rick.

"Rick, this jus' ain' us, man!" He told him, his voice lowering slightly and Rick glared at him for a minute before nodding. In that space of a minute, though, Hershel finally made his voice known.

"No. No, it isn't." He spoke before making his way back towards the door leading to the cellblock. The three of them watched him go for a minute before Rick stepped closer to the two of them.

"We do this, we avoid a fight." He told them, his eyes seeking out Tessa's in particular and as she swallowed hard, Daryl's lips pursed, in irritation or dislike, Rick didn't know. "No one else dies – we avoid the possibility of anyone else dying . . ." He trailed off and eventually, he nodded and murmured a quiet 'okay' as his hand reached down and spread out on the small of Tessa's back. She knew he didn't agree with anything Rick had just said and quite frankly, neither did she but like she was going to tell him she disliked his plan. Number one, she wasn't the leader, he was, and number two . . . if this worked, then they ran the possibility of avoiding a conflict . . . a conflict that could potentially kill everyone she knew and loved.

"We need someone else." Rick spoke up again and they turned their eyes onto him again. Tessa shook her head.

"And it can't be Ethan this time. I refuse to allow it. This could . . . this could kill him." She replied, her voice brooking no argument, and Daryl and Rick nodded in agreement.

"I wasn't going to say Ethan to begin with. I was thinking someone else." He assured her, his eyes holding Daryl's and eventually, Daryl nodded.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I'll talk to him." He told him, but Rick shook his head.

"No, I'll do it."

"I'll go with ya, then. No offense, Rick, but ya ain' exactly his favorite person in tha' entire world!"

"Yeah, I know, but . . ." Rick heaved a sigh and shook his head. "No, it has to be just me." He told him with a nod as he turned around and headed across the prison yard to one of the other abandoned cell-blocks that they had managed to clear out and where they knew Merle was ripping out mattresses trying to find hidden drugs. They watched him go as Daryl turned to face her, his hand curling around her hip, where he brought her closer to him as his voice lowered.

"Ya sure ya can do this, babydoll?" He asked her and Tessa licked her lips before nodding resolutely.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I'm pretty sure I can." She promised him as she turned her eyes up to his. "It's for the good of the group, yeah? And not-to-mention if we do this then we avoid any conflict and . . . and that means possibly having the two of you and Wren and the twins safe to see another day!" He knew she was referring to him and Ethan when she said 'the two of you' and he stayed silent as she continued: "And besides, it's not like she's Maggie or Beth. I don't know her – I don't know her from Adam! I shouldn't care about doing this to her! After all, she abandoned you guys in Woodbury – almost got you all killed!" Daryl gazed at her keenly.

"But ya do . . ." He spoke quietly, slowly and Tessa swallowed hard as she gave a shaky nod.

"I shouldn't, but I do. I don't know why I do, _but I do_. Maybe its cause she brought us that crib, even though I _know _for a fact that was Carl's idea or maybe it's because I see her genuinely trying to endear herself to this group, but whatever it is . . ." She trailed off as she gave a shrug and raised her hands in the air before allowing them to fall back against her body. "I didn't say this was going to be easy, Daryl, but it ain't exactly gonna be hard either!"

They heard someone calling Daryl's name then and Tessa looked over her shoulder to see who was calling for him, only to see Maggie and Glenn standing by the truck. They had been getting ready all morning – preparing the prison in any way they could for an attack from the Governor and his forces – whatever his forces happened to be, anyways.

"We've stapled some barbed wire to some two-by-fours and we're gonna put 'em down by tha entrance over in tha field. Figured tha' if tha jackasses tried to drive up here, then we'd put a bullet in tha' dream quick." He told her and she nodded, turning back to look at him as he waved his hand at them, telling them he'd be there in a minute. His eyes moved back onto hers though and she looked down at the cement under their feet. "Ya gonna be okay?"

"Are you?" She asked him, one of her eyebrows cocking in interest and he heaved a sigh as he placed his hands on his hips.

"I'll try to be. Promise me ya'll do tha same?"

Tessa gazed at him for a moment before nodding and averting her eyes to the ground again. "Yeah . . . yeah, I promise . . ." She told him, her voice quiet and he smiled as he moved closer to her.

"I gotta go before Glenn busts a nut waiting for me. But come on . . . do me a favor and give me a kiss . . ."

"You think you deserve one after last night." She grinned, her eyes still downcast to the cement and she could practically feel Daryl grin too as he cradled her waist in his hands and brought her slowly towards him.

"Well considerin' tha' it was pretty damn good, I suppose tha' yeah, I reckon I do! But how 'bout ya jus' look at me instead?" He asked her and she let out a scoff of a laugh and rolled her eyes. She finally turned her eyes up to him and his eyes softened as he moved to sweep a lock of her dark hair out of her face. "Now there are those beautiful eyes of ya's . . ." He murmured and she continued to grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. It wasn't a passionate or rushed kiss, it was a slow one filled to the brim with love and heat and they found themselves savoring each other as they slowly pulled away.

"You be careful, okay?" She told him and he nodded as he held her close for a minute.

"Tha same goes for ya, too, babydoll. Ya got a pretty big role too, in case ya didn' notice." Tessa nodded at his words, her expression falling slightly and he mentally kicked himself for those words. She didn't need to hear those words.

"Yeah, don't remind me."

* * *

"Merle . . . are ya down here?"

"Hey, little brother - I was jus' 'bout ta holler back to ya!"

Daryl lowered his crossbow when he moved into the generator room, finding Merle leaning against one of the turquoise colored workbenches in the corner. "What'cha doin' down here?" He asked as he stepped deeper into the room and Merle gave a shrug as he rubbed his lips with his hand for a minute.

"Jus', uh . . . lookin' fer a little crystal, ya know?" He told him, trying so desperately to keep his voice level and nonchalant, however, Daryl knew that he was majorly craving and he sent him a look that could momentarily freeze fire, which immediately made Merle regret the tone of voice he had used. Shit, was his baby brother about to go all 'Papa Bear-that-shit-could-hurt-my-family' on him again?

But instead, Daryl shocked him by giving a snort of laughter and turning around, where they headed back towards the center of the room, seemingly aimlessly wandering. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Shit will mess ma life up and when everythin' is goin' so sweet, right?" He let out a chuckle and when Daryl addressed him next, his voice was low but held a slightly menacing tone that Merle noticed he had adopted around him ever since they arrived back and he had that little 'talk' of his with Ethan.

"Ya talk with Rick yet?"

"Yeah, oh yeah. I told him tha' I was in. Like he, uh . . . like he has tha stomach fer it, anyway, ya know?" His caught his younger brother's eyes then and held them. "He's gonna buckle, ya know tha', right?" It took a moment, but eventually, Daryl nodded as he turned his eyes down to the floor.

"Yeah . . . yeah, I know. Tess knows too – we've already talked 'bout it." He gave a shrug then as he turned his eyes back onto his brother. "But as far as we sees it, if he does, he does. There ain' nothin' we can do to stop him."

"Ya want him too?" Merle asked, his eyes taking on a gleam that Daryl didn't exactly like and once again, Daryl didn't answer for a minute. But when he did, Merle immediately grinned and let out a scoff of a laugh.

"Whatever he says, goes."

"_Shit_, Daryl . . .!" Merle spoke, and with a wondered shake of his head. "Do ya even . . . _possess_ a pair of balls – are they even attached?" He asked him before shaking his head and giving a shrug. "I mean, I _know _ya do – ya 'ave to, or how else would Tess 'ave had Ethan and tha twins, but . . . do ya ever _wear _'em outside of bed with her? Hey!" He slapped a hand on his chest then, his eyes lighting up with a playful gleam. "Does Tess keep 'em in a glass jar beside the bed – is tha' it?"

The old Daryl – the Daryl whose anger had not yet been tamed by squalling babies waking them up hungry at two in the morning and who had yet to be tempered by patiently teaching a thirteen-year-old boy how to do much of the shit that he hadn't grown up knowing about, but Daryl had – would have either decked his brother or at the very least yelled a very colorful assortment of cusswords at him. This Daryl, though – the new Daryl . . . simply shook his head, a small smile on his face as he headed towards the door. Merle's voice kept him back, however.

"I mean, Hell, if they are right there, sittin' on tha' desk beside the bed, then they belong to _ya_ – not the woman who cradles 'em every night – not tha' woman who birthed out ya three squallin' brats!" He shook his head, a look of hard disgust entering his eyes then. "I remember a time when ya used to call people like that _sheep_. Wha' happened to ya?"

Daryl gave a shrug then as a half-smile appeared on his face that was accompanied by a hard look and one that immediately made Merle uneasy. "I became a deddy, Merle. It's as plain and simple as tha'. But ya know . . . I've been meanin' to ask ya somethin', but I never got a chance to, what with this whole thing with the Governor and with Seth goin' on . . ." He trailed off then as he turned to face him fully, that same half-smile and unknown look still in his eyes and on his face. "What tha' Hell happened 'tween ya and Glenn and Maggie at Woodbury? Fuck, actually - scratch tha' . . ." A look of anger shot through his eyes then. "Wha' happened 'tween ya and _Tess_, Merle? What happened 'tween ya in the barn thirteen-years-ago – what happened 'tween ya back in Woodbury?"

"I'm surprised tha' she hasn' told ya."

"Oh, she has – believe me, _she has_!" Daryl told him with a nod. "But tha' doesn' mean tha' I don' wanna hear it from ya, too. And it might be somethin' tha' ya wanna tell me right now brother. Ya might wanna tell me _right _now!"

_"Naw man, let her rest . . . she's been a good little mare for one day!" He laughed then. "I'm impressed, too - didn' think ma brother would have been able to train her right! She's a good little ride!" His laugh turned down into a chuckle as he grasped her chin in his fingers and forced her to look at him. She let out a sob and tried to yank her head away but it didn't work. Merle was stronger than her, after all, and only thought it funny when she still tried to resist him. "But _dayum_, man, now that I look at her . . . I wish I would have blew ma load on her face – just to see what ma white spunk would have looked like on that beautiful caramel colored skin of hers! Hell, if he's anythin' like me, then I can garun-damn-tee ya that Daryl's done it before!" Tessa flinched violently at the visual as Merle knelt down beside her, his voice entering a sickly sweet coo. "So what about it, sweetheart – we're all dying to know now that I've said somethin'! Have ya ever allowed ma baby brother to blow his load on ya face before -?"_

Merle didn't answer him for a moment and when he did, his voice was quiet, his eyes focused on an indeterminable spot on the concrete floor underneath their feet. "I've done worse to her . . ." He focused a glare on him. "But if ya ask me, ya need to grow up and let go of tha' grudge inside ya. Things are different now." Daryl shook his head, his jaw hardening.

"What . . . did ya _do _. . . _to her_?"

_"When ya scared and ya holdin' ma baby brother close to ya . . . when ya bodies are entwined and he's so deep inside ya that all ya wanna do is pull him as close to ya as ya can, do ya sometimes think of me?"_

_"_Fuck_ you, Merle!"_

Merle shook his head, a hard look appearing in his eyes. "Like I said – I've done worse to her than what I did at Woodbury! Ya people look at me like I'm tha' devil," He told him, his voice angry. "Grabbin' up those lovebirds and Tess like tha'. But ya weren' worried 'bout _them _were ya? Naw, ya tell 'em ya were, but ya weren'. Ya were worried 'bout Tess – tha' I was goin' to do to her what I done to her in the barn." He shook his head. "I ain' gonna lie - I was gonna . . . I was gonna in a heartbeat but then she sprouts off with this line 'bout how she had jus' had a couple of babies and tha' they were ya's – tha' she still hadn' slept with ya up until that point either!" He shook his head. "I don' know what made me stop then but I did. Tha's gotta be worth somethin', right? But Hell, what am I sayin'? Ya make me look like the devil, but yet ya'll are wantin' to do tha same damn thing I did – snatch someone up and deliver 'em to the Governor." He shook his head. "Ya might have tha family tha' I don', Daryl. Ya might 'ave the beautiful woman and the amazing, prodigal kid and the adorable babies, but don' ya for one minute lie to yaself. Ya jus' like me and me . . . I'm jus' like our old man." He let out a laugh then. "But wait, ya killed _him_, didn' ya? Tell me, how did ya get away with tha'?"

"We claimed self-defense. Tessa had the marks on her and everythin' so I said I was actin' in self-defense and the cops bought it. Besides, our old man wasn' exactly a paragon of virtue in our town, so really, I think they were partially happy jus' to finally be rid of him for good."

"How'd ya do it?"

"Do ya remember tha' old ax out by tha woodpile by the backdoor?" Merle nodded and so did Daryl. Merle's eyebrows rose.

"Really, now - ya used tha' old thing?" Daryl nodded again.

"Yup - right into the head. Messy as Hell but the only thing I wanted at the time was to get the job done, not how hard it was gonna be scrapin' his brain out of the linoleum the next day once they came and got tha body." Merle shook his head and let out a little laugh.

"Didn' think tha' thing could cut through butter but shows how much I know! Good riddance, too – the spiteful bastard deserved it!" He muttered bitterly before he shook his head. "But there ya go – there's another example. People do wha' they gotta do or they die - if ya hadn' done somethin' then Tess might 'ave died. Doubt it, 'cause tha' old man always stuck to his creed, but still . . . could 'ave happened." Daryl shook his head, his anger towards his brother once again cooled. Damn, where had his quick fire anger gone? Had he _really _calmed down that much since having the twins?

"We can' do things without people anymore, bro," He told him, his tone back to its former quiet timbre, and Merle scoffed.

"Maybe these people need somebody like me 'round, huh? Ya know, to do their dirty work and be tha bad guy whenever they need one." He nodded. "Yeah, maybe tha's how it is now, huh? How does tha' hit ya?" Daryl heaved a sigh as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I don' . . . when Tess first told me 'bout what ya done to her when we were back on tha farm before we came here, I couldn' . . . I couldn' _see_ 'cause I was so blinded by anger. Hell, for the longest time I told her tha' if I ever saw ya again, I'd deliver ya head and balls to her on a silver platter! But . . . when we got here and we had the twins, I realized tha' . . . _yeah_, I could hang on to a grudge all ma life, but is tha' really fair towards them? Do I _really_ want ma kids growin' up 'round a father who can' function 'cause he's constantly on this crusade against somethin' tha' happened thirteen-fourteen odd years ago – somethin' tha' in no way affects them? Do I really want 'em growin' up 'round someone who can' hardly control his own anger?" He shook his head then as he placed his hands on his hips. "But don' for a minute think tha' I'm downplayin' what ya did – the _Hell_ I am and if ya do it again, I will kill ya! And fuck, don' ya _ever _expect Tess to forgive ya, but . . ." He gave a half-shrug. "I'm jus' gettin' up there in age, Merle. I'm gettin' tired of bein' angry all the damn time and . . . I have ma kids and my girl – I have what makes me happy now, despite the shitheap we find ourselves in now! I don' want to dedicate the rest of ma surely short life hatin' someone who I once thought of as family, ya know? Hell, I'd jus' be content with havin' ma brother back!"

Merle gazed at him for a minute before nodding. He looked away before Daryl could see the tears brimming up in his eyes. "Well, I'm still here, ain' I dummy?" He asked with a slight grin and Daryl shot him a smile as he slapped another hand on his back before turning around and heading back towards the door, knowing nothing further had to be said between them - that Daryl had gotten his point across.

When he neared the common room upstairs, he heard Hershel's reading from the little black Bible set before him, before he even saw him, and when he finally stepped through the opened gateway, he saw Tessa grouped around the table with him, Maggie and Beth, the four of them clasping hands. Her and Maggie's eyes were closed as Beth simply sat there, eyes opened and scanning the room for whatever could hold her attention for just a few seconds. So Daryl stood there for a minute, gazing at her and thinking. He himself didn't particularly believe in God - how could he after the childhood he had - but if he gave Tessa another way to stay sane in this fucked up world, then he supposed he couldn't be all that bad.

* * *

It would have taken a deaf man to not hear Tessa screaming Rick and Daryl's names as she came running from the cellblock later that afternoon. The sun was just starting its descent under the horizon and it bathed everything in a warm light that caught on the leaves of the trees and which created the illusion that the entire forest was burning down around them. Their eyes immediately snapped onto hers, though, as she quickly crossed the yard towards them and Daryl caught her as she ran into his arms.

"Tess, Tess, babydoll, calm down! What's goin' on?" He quickly asked her, and Tessa swallowed hard as she stood there and fought to catch her breath for a minute. Eventually, she shook her head.

"I was on my way to find Michonne so I could tell her that you needed to see her – like we planned!" Tessa started out by directing her attention onto Rick and the man nodded as she continued: "But I couldn't find her. I looked everywhere – Hell, _everyone _looked! We couldn't find her anywhere and then it occurred to us that we couldn't find Merle anywhere too." She shook her head as a stricken look appeared on Rick and Daryl's faces when they finally connected the dots in their heads.

"Guys – Michonne and Merle are _gone_!"


	61. Chapter 60

**Gah, what is wrong with me? I tell you guys I'm gonna update sooner and I never do! Again, apologies for unintentionally lying to you, but here is the next chapter. Sorry if its slightly rushed, I didn't exactly know how I wanted to go about writing it at first. I also changed around Merle's death scene a little bit - he doesn't die right away and Daryl doesn't find him a walker but hey, it works for this story, I think :)**

**I had also intended on writing a full love scene at the end but for some reason I didn't think it would fit. So I kinda . . . romanticized it for you (if that's the word that I would use?) and again, I think it fits the story much better.**

**As always, thanks HermioneandMarcus for reading and reviewing. Luv ya :)  
**

**HaloHunter89 - It always made me smile when I saw how much Daryl had grew up and matured in that scene between him and Merle in the generator room from the last couple of seasons - Hell, even from the scene between him and Merle in the woods where they had gotten into the semi-cat-fight. And I think Daryl rationalizing that it was because he had the twins and how they made him grow up, was a nice touch to this story. Thanks and keep reviewing! :)**

**PS: This chapter has _maybe _a little bit of foreshadowing in it as far as the Epilogue goes, as well as towards a certain character that is going to be popping up in the Epilogue and Part 4, so yeah . . . have fun with that :)**

* * *

_"Don't make me sad, don't make me cry_

_Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough_

_I don't know why_

_Keep making me laugh_

_Let's go get high_

_The road is long, we carry on_

_Try to have fun in the meantime_

_Come on take a walk on the wild side_

_Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain_

_You like your girls insane . . ._

_Choose your last words,_

_This is the last time_

_Cause you and I_

_We were born to die . . ."_

_- "Born to Die" by Lana del Rey_

"Excuse me mister, but where in the Hell are you going?"

Daryl turned around mid-way across the prison yard on his way towards his bike when the voice reached him, where he saw Tessa quickly approaching him. He heaved a sigh and looked away as she quickly continued crossing the distance between them. "I'm goin' to go find Merle and Michonne. They can' be far and since Rick can' track for shit, tha' leaves me." He replied and she nodded stiffly as she continued her quick way over to him. He tensed at the stiff nod, whole-heartedly expecting an angry, snappy tirade at his words about how he shouldn't be abandoning the group with someone like the Governor breathing down their necks, only to find two people who were probably long gone, when she finally reached him.

However, she shocked him by doing the opposite. She reached him in seemingly record time but instead of immediately lighting into him like he thought, she simply ended up standing on her tiptoes after grasping his shoulders and pulling him down to her. Her lips connected with his in a chaste, loving kiss and when she broke apart from him and lowered herself back down on her feet, the look of stunned shock he gave her was almost comical.

"What was tha' -?"

"Be safe, okay?" She interrupted him with a terse smile and as her hand tried to smooth out a wrinkle on his leather jacket. "I know you have to do this and I don't like it, but I also know that we have no choice. And I'm not going to throw a little hissy fit about it to Rick because I know that, that is immature and not-to-mention stupid and selfish," Her terse smile grew just a little bit bigger then as she swallowed hard. "So like I said: be safe, okay? You're going out on your own, so don't do anything stupid and don't do anything reckless. Like I always tell you, you come home to me, okay – safe and sound and without a scratch on you!" Daryl forced himself to keep back the grin of amusement that wanted so desperately to split his features then as he playfully rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Yeah, yeah, I know ma - ya preachin' to tha' choir!" He gently teased her and she gave a little laugh as she hugged him back for a moment. Her hug was lingering and a little longer than necessary but eventually she pulled away and when she did, she quickly averted her eyes to the ground. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and hugged herself tightly as she gave a shiver. It was quickly turning Fall and it was starting to grow cold again. She didn't want to think about what they would do for warmth in that cavernous prison behind them and she reckoned they would do what they always did: big oil drums and homeless fires mixed with a healthy dash of every blanket, jacket and other article of clothing they could find, packed and layered together.

"Hey, hey, hey, aren' ya tha' one who said it, Tess?" He asked her gently and she furrowed her eyebrows in gentle confusion as he continued: "I'll come home to ya – I promise ya!" He shook his head as her eyes turned up to his. "I learned ma lesson tha' last time. Ya, Ethan, tha twins – this . . . _hell-hole . . ._ whether I like it or not, this is ma home and ya guys are ma family – ya always have been. Ya damn right I'll come back to ya – I ain' goin' out there with the intention of dyin' and leavin' ya alone – ya don' have to worry 'bout tha'!"

Tessa shot him a grateful smile as she moved closer to him again. Her hands fisted in the tough sleeves of his leather jacket underneath his leathers and his hands curled around her hips, bringing her closer to him still as he pressed his lips to the top of her head. They stood like that for a moment, in the Fall cold, relishing in each other's presence and silently promising each other that they would be together again before they knew it.

Daryl opened his mouth to say something but Beth's voice from the doorway leading into the cellblock, interrupted him. The youngest Greene was hanging her head out the door, shouting that they needed her help with something, and Tessa gave an amused roll of her eyes as Daryl chuckled. They reluctantly parted from the other a few slow seconds later.

"You heard her – I'm being summoned. You -"

"Be careful – yeah, I know. Like I said, ya don' have to worry." He finished for her with a loving smile and she returned the smile as she turned and moved towards the door that Beth's head had so recently withdrawn into. Daryl stood there and watched her go for a minute before giving a shiver of his own when another cool wind blew through. He turned around then and crossed the remaining distance to his bike, pulling his jacket closer around him as he did so. Hopefully this wouldn't take long. He didn't exactly relish being out in the cold when the Fall frosts would hit again that night.

* * *

The last person he expected to find after having spent one or two hours tracking the two of them down, was Michonne.

A solitary Michonne with Merle nowhere in sight . . .

And standing in a roadside clearing with her sword plunged through a dead walker's severed head currently being pinned to the ground underneath her boot.

"Where's Merle?" He called to her before he could stop himself and Michonne's eyes fell onto his as she coldly – unfeelingly – yanked her sword from the walker's head. His eyes lingered on the head for a minute before they landed on her again. "Ya kill him?" She slowly shook her head.

"No . . . he let me go." She told him and Daryl shot her a look as he pushed past her.

"Yeah, well, do me a favor – don' let anyone come after me, okay?" He told her and she turned around to watch him go, slightly bewildered.

"What's got you so in a rush to find him?" She asked and Daryl came to an abrupt stop before he turned around to face her again.

"Like I said, just do me a favor and make sure no one comes after me. Can ya do at least tha'?"

"Are you coming back this time? You know . . . after you find him?" She asked him, curiosity evident in her voice more than any other emotion and Daryl gave a small smile that temporarily surprised her. She had rarely seen Daryl smile outside of the company of Tessa or his kids and she had to admit . . . he looked better when he smiled.

"Tell Tess I'll be home in time for dinner. And make that a promise."

* * *

"Hey Tess, Rick wants us all to get together – he has something to tell us. Tess . . . Tess are you listening?"

Tessa smiled and nodded as Wren moved to join her in the fenced-in prison yard. She nodded again in the direction of the couple currently standing across the way talking. "Yes, I'm listening Wren, but I'm watching something important right now. You see . . ." She gave her another smile. "Glenn over there, is about to propose to Maggie." She told her and Wren's eyes widened as she glanced up at Tessa before turning her eyes onto the two people. Sure enough, Glenn was standing front of Maggie, her hand in his and when he took out the ring and pressed it into her palm, the look on her face immediately made their hearts warm as she nodded and then fell tearfully into his arms.

They stood there watching them for a minute before Wren turned her eyes up to Tessa. "Can I ask you a question?"

"When have you not?" Tessa teased her with a grin and a laugh and Wren returned the laugh as Tessa turned to face her

"You and Daryl have been together for a couple of years now. Why . . . why haven't you guys gotten married? You guys refer to each other as 'my husband' or 'my wife' whenever you're introducing yourselves to new people or referring to each other in conversation – why not make it official? Hershel could probably do it." She asked and Tessa gave her a small smile and a shrug.

"I don't really have an answer for that. I mean, yeah, Hershel could probably do it but it's never really been an issue of religion or faith for us. Yeah, I believe in God, but I'm not exactly what you would call 'devout' and Daryl has never been the religious type to begin with, so . . . it would probably just be empty words, more than likely. And besides, it might sound cheesy but we've been married in our hearts for well over fifteen-years now, and not-to-mention, we have kids together. Getting formerly married _now_, at this point, it just seems . . ." She trailed off and thought for a minute before finally thinking of the word she wanted. "It just seems redundant, that's all. And besides," She said with a laugh. "Daryl's never been the type who just . . . grabbed up a girl and had his semi-charming way with her – oh Hell no, I can say that from personal experience! He is the type, though – and Ethan is the same way - that when he falls in love with you, he falls in love with you for life and so far, that's held true for us. I pray that it always does, in fact."

"And . . . and if it doesn't?" Wren couldn't help but ask and the smiled slowly disappeared from Tessa's face as she turned her eyes onto Glenn and Maggie still standing together - joyfully - in each other's arms and the new (or semi-new) engagement ring on her finger. Even though she knew the likelihood of that ever happening was slim to none, she couldn't help but silently admit that she _had _given that thought more than enough attention in the short years that they had been together since reuniting.

Finally, she replied, and when she did, her voice was quiet, small and slightly pensive. "Then I pray, Wren, that he has the courtesy of giving me a head's-up first."

* * *

When he had first seen Merle lying there in the clearing, he had found himself stunned into speechlessness.

He supposed he was stunned and shocked about how the man was still alive considering how many were walkers were crawling around the bodies littering the area surrounding the abandoned barns and buildings and it took an even longer minute to see the bullet hole in his stomach and the one that was currently causing his right lung to either fail or fill with blood, he couldn't tell. Tough as nails, his brother was, and when his eyes settled on his, Daryl wasted no time in making his way over to him and dropping to his knees beside him.

"Merle . . . Good Lord, bro, what happened to ya?" He asked as his eyes quickly scanned him, assessing the damage done, but was stopped when he felt Merle's hand clench onto his arm, a surprisingly strong grip that drug his eyes upwards to connect with his brother's.

"That don' matter right now, but I can tell what does: ya listenin' ta me! So for once in ya life, baby brother, listen ta me, okay?" He gasped out and Daryl nodded as he remained squatting there beside his brother, feeling tears well up in his eyes despite the amount of emotions he had currently reenacting the Battle of Gettysburg inside him at that moment. He should hate his brother – he should hate his guts for what he done to Tessa but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to fully hate him. Merle _was _his brother and although he no longer considered him much of anything in lieu of the close family category, he was still family, nonetheless, just . . . more like extended family that no one cared to see. And that certainly didn't change the fact that he had still grown up with the guy, he had still hunted with him, played with him as kids, escaped their mother and their old man's punches together . . .

He knew he shouldn't be crying – that Merle didn't deserve his tears - but for some reason he couldn't help it.

"Yeah, I'm listenin' . . ." He assured him with a nod and Merle shakily grasped the collar of his leather jacket in a remarkably strong grip before he brought him closer to him. He was sweating despite the coolness of the Fall day; his skin was cold and clammy and Daryl knew that he was getting close to pushing up daisies. For a minute, he wondered if his brother was going to Hell but then he quickly discarded the thought into his mental trashcan. He shouldn't be thinking things like that on his brother's deathbed and when he was trying so damn hard to tell him something. "Yeah, bro, I'm here, and I'm listenin', ya don' have to worry 'bout tha'."

Merle nodded and swallowed hard before speaking. "Tha' girl ya got – Tess . . . don' ya walk away from her, again, ya hear me? And for the love of God, don' ya let _her _ever walk away from ya too, ya understand?" Merle told him, his face firm and brooking no argument and Daryl shot him a confused look as he nodded.

"Bro, ya don' have to tell me that -!"

"Yes-yes I do! Ya left her once for me, but ya went back and I 'ave ta give ya tha'. But I'm tellin' ya this now, tho', in case, for whatever reason, ya want ta do it again or ya think 'bout doin' it again: _don'_, Daryl – jus' _don'_. She's different from our ma – she's a good woman, Tess is – a good mother and _nothin'_ if not a survivor. And I know I never did anythin' but hurt her, but I jus' want . . ." He swallowed heavily and his eyes became unfocused for a minute before clearing and resettling on his little brother's face again. His eyes were softer this time and Daryl knew it wasn't because he was clinging to life on a thread now, but because he was talking about Tessa in his final moments. Daryl felt the tears well up in his eyes even harder. "I jus' want ya ta know tha' wha' I did was out of ma sick, twisted love for her – I never wanted to hurt her. I've always loved her – always imagined a competition where there never was one and I'm . . . I'm sorry, Daryl. Tell her tha', will ya? Tell her I'm sorry for forcin' myself on her and for forcin' her to live a life with another man tha' she never wanted ta live. Tell Ethan I'm sorry for not lettin' him know ya for thirteen Goddamn years, tell . . ." He stopped and swallowed hard again, trying desperately to remain clinging to a life that was already gone and Daryl shook his head.

"It's okay, bro . . . I understand. I'll be sure to tell 'em." Merle nodded and his eyes suddenly cleared with fresh anger. His hand tightened in his jacket with a renewed burst of strength and he pulled him closer to him still then.

"And I swear ta God, Daryl – if there is a God, anyways – tha' if ya ever hurt her again – if ya walk out on her again, I'll come back and I'll kick ya ass to high heaven, ya understand me? Ya cling ta tha' woman like she's the Goddamn Holy Grail and ya don' let anyone come 'tween ya or let 'em take her away from ya and ma niece and nephews, ya understand? 'Cause if ya do . . . and ya go down ta Hell when ya die . . . I'll be waitin' fer ya and it ain' gonna be pretty wha' I do to ya!"

Daryl knew Merle was being serious but for some reason, he couldn't do anything but smile. He nodded as tears started falling from his eyes and Merle let out a groan as he released his shirt and fell back against the earth. "Now go and get – leave me be! I don' want ma last sight ta be ya ugly mug with eyes full of tears!" He told him and Daryl swallowed hard and nodded as he got to his feet then. He stepped back and he watched, solemnly and as tears continued to stream down his face, as his brother took his last couple of breaths. Merle deserved that much and when he finally died and Daryl waited the full two hours for his brother to finally change, he slowly withdrew his hunting knife from the sheath strapped to his side at his belt as the walker Merle stumbled to his feet. And when he lunged at him and plunged the knife deep into his brother's head, he did so more times than he could count and with extreme prejudice, tears still shining in his eyes.

Now, Merle owed _him_ that much.

* * *

When Daryl finally returned to the prison later that evening after finding and dealing with Merle, Tessa hardly recognized her man. Neither did anyone else, but when they saw that Merle wasn't with him, they got a pretty good idea of what was wrong or what had happened.

His eyes were red, his body language was tense as he handed his crossbow off to Ethan and his voice when he thanked their son was soft-spoken and slightly husky. His eyes also refused to meet with anyone else's gathered in the common room that evening, and everyone's confusion and alarm grew when they saw how he had gently pushed Tessa away when she moved to ask him what was wrong. He instead, moved to disappear through the gateway located on the other side of the cellblock. She had a pretty good idea where he was going, but she left him be and continued to help with dinner with a still slightly alarmed Maggie and Carol, knowing that when Daryl Dixon was that torn up inside, it was often best to just let him be.

"I'll find him later. Right now, he just wants to be left alone." She murmured to the two women standing beside her and while Maggie nodded in understanding, her body language relaxing as well, she felt Carol's eyes linger on her somewhat.

"How can you tell?" She asked her quietly, and Tessa's movements slowed as she turned her head to gaze at the woman. When she finally lowered her eyes to the pot bubbling in front of her and her movements returned to the speed they had been going at before Carol's quiet question, she answered her, her voice lower than it had been and slightly thoughtful.

"I've . . . I've always just been able to tell, with Daryl. There's this . . . he gets this look in his eyes when he wants to be left alone – this anger and this vulnerability that's not there when he's angry or he's feeling normal. I think it stems from his childhood, but . . ." She gave a sigh and a shrug. "I've never been able to validate it. Best I can describe it is a . . . a hunch or an intuition or something like that." Carol nodded in understanding as the three of them descended into complete and total silence then, Maggie and Carol's focus on the dinner while Tessa's was on the man who had pushed her away.

He _never _pushed her away.

They ate dinner together that night in almost complete silence in the common room and when they were done, Tessa helped Wren and Beth put the babies down for the night while Maggie and Carol cleaned up. After making sure that there was a bowl of food saved for him that she made sure to keep at least lukewarm by wrapping it in a clean checkered dishrag and making absolutely sure the twins were fed and asleep and not wanting for anything else, finally set off to find him. She didn't have to search for long, for he was indeed where she thought he was.

When Tessa found Daryl that night, it was under the hot spray of one of the showers in the (almost) completely dark prison shower room – the only place in the entire prison where one could be completely sure that they were alone.

Naked and wet flesh gleaming in the bright moonlight falling in through the windows high above them - the only things that were not shining silvery white was the jagged edges of the scars that littered his entire torso - he was standing underneath the falling water, head bowed underneath the hot spray. His hands were splayed out on the chipped mint green linoleum wall in front of him and he didn't show any sign of noticing that she had entered when she did. This alone shocked her. Thanks to his hunting and tracking skills, Daryl knew every person by their footsteps and knew almost immediately when someone had entered the room he was in, even when his back was turned. Since he made no move to greet her or show her that he knew she had entered, she couldn't help but allow her eyebrows to furrow gently in worry as she approached him slowly, not knowing what Daryl she was liable to get at that moment.

"Daryl . . . baby . . .?" She asked him hesitantly and when he didn't answer her, she pursed her lips and stood there for a minute, at the very edge of the showers, where she was completely out of the way of the spray. Eventually, she stripped off her clothes and after placing them in a pile beside Daryl's blood-soaked ones, stepped into the shower as well, where she soon found herself underneath the spray behind him. He jumped when he felt the tips of her fingers ghost over the particularly horrifying scar that stretched across his right shoulder blade (the one that made her stomach churn and her heart to thrum like a wire in her chest whenever she saw it and wondered what he had to do to earn such a gruesome abuse) and she could practically feel his body trembling when she gently, lovingly, placed her lips to it. Whether his body was trembling in anger or sorrow or some other emotion, she couldn't tell. "Daryl baby . . . are you okay?" She asked him as her breath fanned out across the puckered, raised flesh, and his body tensed underneath her lips and fingers at her question. He didn't answer her for a long time and when he finally did, she wasn't surprised when his voice appeared quiet and faraway.

"I need ya right now, Tess . . . please?"

The words surprised her but when she slowly moved to wrap her arms around his waist, her front moving to press into his back, she felt his body shake in her arms. It took her an even longer moment to realize that his body was shaking because of the silent sobs that were wracking through the entirety of his leanly muscular frame, and she immediately recoiled, her eyes growing wide with shock. Her mouth opened to say something but she was interrupted by him suddenly turning her around and pulling her into a fiercely protective embrace. His face buried in her hair – in the crook of her neck and she heard his quiet sobs as he sought solace in her arms – the only place in the entire world that he knew, without a doubt, that he would never be judged.

"Daryl . . . Daryl, I don't know . . ." She shook her head weakly when words temporarily failed her. "Baby, what happened out there? Why didn't Merle come back?" She asked him and Daryl shook his head. She could feel his Adam's apple moving against her shoulder as he swallowed heavily.

"He's dead . . . he's fuckin' dead, Tess."

Tessa couldn't help but feel the thrill of relief and happiness that shot throughout her body at the words, however, she knew better than to say that at that moment. Daryl might hate him for what he done to her, but Merle was still his brother. He still had the right to mourn. "He's dead? What do you mean - how?"

"At first . . . at first when I saw him lyin' there, I thought a walker had bit him and he was 'bout to change. But when I neared him, I saw he was alive. Some fucker had shot him up, Tess. And I'll bet ya anythin' tha' it was tha Governor."

"What makes you say that?"

"I found him not far from where we had met 'em tha first time – where we were supposed to meet 'em today. Tha' and tha gunshots wounds don' exactly leave room for any other speculation."

"Wait – wait a minute, Daryl!" Tessa exclaimed as she grasped him by the biceps and pushed him away. His eyes when they fell down and captured hers were dull and weary – downright exhausted, in fact. But she shook her head and continued on nonetheless. "He had Michonne so why . . . why did he let her go and then went _alone_? He had to know that the Governor and his forces would be there – that what the Governor would do to him if he found him there!" Daryl gave a weak, careless shrug.

"I don' know. I don' know and I don' really care. He's gone, Tess, and I know I should mourn him – and I do – its jus' . . . I can' help but feel glad tha' he's gone too, ya know? I thought I had put what he done to ya behind me but . . ." He shook his head. "When he changed, Tess, I . . . I lost count of how many times I stabbed him in the head. I mean . . ." He swallowed hard as he weakly gestured to the pile of bloody clothing by hers. "Jus' look at ma clothes! Tha' blood had to come from somewhere and it wasn' exactly from walkers!"

Tessa swallowed hard as she glanced behind her where he had gestured. Her eyes lingered on the pile of bloody clothing for a minute before she turned back to him. Silently, her arms wrapped around his waist, where she hugged him to her tightly. He quickly and gladly returned the embrace seconds later. "He told me to tell ya tha' he was sorry . . ." Daryl finally murmured to her and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as they continued to stand there underneath the hot spray, hardly noticing the water as it fell down onto them.

"What?"

"Merle . . . he told me to tell ya tha' he was sorry for everythin' tha' he had done to ya. He's sorry tha' he made ya leave me – tha' ya had to live without me for thirteen years. He jus' . . . he wanted me to tell ya tha', tha's all." He repeated and for a minute, Tessa didn't answer him. She didn't know _how _to answer him, to be truthful. Eventually, though, she swallowed hard and gave a shrug.

"The past is the past, Daryl – especially our past. And hopefully, with Merle gone, we can close that shitty, horrible chapter of our lives and finally move on with one less stone to drag behind us. Hopefully _I _can close it because I am sick and tired of having to live with it - of having to constantly drag that stone. Thank God, too . . ." She spoke before trailing off, her voice quieting somewhat. "I . . . I feel free."

* * *

Later, when he sought the solace in her body that he couldn't find in her mind and heart – as she clung to him with the same fevered abandon that she did every time they made love, Daryl once again felt like he was home. And as he lay there afterwards on his back beside her, feeling their sweat dry to an almost uncomfortable coolness on his skin and with her body tucked so protectively into his side as she slept, he realized that maybe . . . maybe Merle's death hadn't hit him quite as hard as he had thought.


End file.
